Crimson
by nexusmaster
Summary: Not all heroes have happy endings. He was crafted to be strong, and strong he was. He was born to deliver, and deliver he did. Prequel to Burning Cursade. This is how he was stained crimson. ArcherxRin.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Surprise, I decided to do this quick fic before posting the sequel to Burning Crusade, believe me Archer and Rin fans will want to read this

A/N: Surprise, I decided to do this quick fic before posting the sequel to Burning Crusade, believe me Archer and Rin fans will want to read this! Anyway, I'll be doing it in the form of connected one-shots, short and to the point. This is basically here to give some insight on the past I gave Archer in my fic, an important plot-device in the sequel. Please enjoy!

A Cold Hand Offered in Cold Times

The sky was crying, crying along with the magi who won the war. The Holy Grail war had been over for three whole years, each one as excruciating as the last. He missed her to his very soul, the jagged pain of having your love ripped from you tearing at his already shattered soul. Few knew, few other than his diseased father. Not even Fuji-ne could comprehend his deepest scar. He died that day of the fire, the war his father Kiritsugu had participated in. He was a corpse walking, pushed onwards by the drive to protect others. She had changed him, if only for those few short times. It was almost cruel.

He didn't know when it started, but he suddenly felt them all slipping through his grieving fingers. No… he did know when it started. It was the day he had come back from his ritualistic walk, an almost hypnotic habit that displayed his robbed soul. He should've known the moment his foot landed on the clean wood of the entrance to his home, his prison. It was the day Ilyasviel von Einzbern passed away from her illness. As he knelt beside her corpse, he tried to remember being told, only to come up with hazy memories of his life for the past three years. Then he made the mistake of asking. Fujimura had slapped him, still crying in grief. He wasn't sure about Sakura's reaction; her eyes were simply glued to the floor.

He was a corpse, even more so now that the girl who was his little sister was gone. He only had Fujimura and Sakura left, just like the old days, the before time, the long-long-ago. Only difference was his ritualistic walks that, now that he had lost two precious people, sometimes kept him out for exactly twenty-four hours, on the dot. This made for an interesting visit when Rin would stop by. She was going through similar pains, but her concern for him kept her grief at bay. He remembered hearing her cry one night, but his hollow self found little reason to care. Yes, few knew that he stopped being human long ago. Well… Rin did hit pretty close when she tried to describe him to Saber. A person that cares for himself no longer, a corpse pretending to live, that's what he was, now and forever.

Now the sky was crying, crying along with the hero of the war. His home was in shambles, the rain mixing with whatever concoction you'd curse the scenery with. Blood, mud, splinters, unseen malice, lust, you name it, it was all mixed together. He had managed to kill the beasts, but barely. His once white and blue shirt was now black and red, his blue jeans splashed with blood and mud. The sick poetry that went along with the scene only made his cries more barbaric, more animalistic.

"WHY," He slammed his bleeding fist into the ground for the umpteenth time, "I WASN'T STRONG ENOUGH, I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO SAVE THEM!" His dreams were shattered, all for not now. How could he protect random people when he couldn't help those closest to him? Suicide had always seemed so disgusting to him, a cheap way out of a situation he could bare. However, now it seemed so sweet, an idea made of gold. His golden eyes, darkened by the pain of loss and self-loathing, went to the dagger laying next his fist. It was still stained with the blood of the beasts, but it looked as good as a goddess.

Thump

His eyes widened at the foreign sound.

Thump

It sounded again, a boot? He looked around, read to slay whatever madman decided to prolong his plummet into sweet oblivion.

Thump

Thump

Thump

The sound stopped, the owner of the rather loud boots stopping to look down at the shattered boy. His body was covered in magnificent white armor, a short cape covering his left side from the pouring rain. Flipping the cape back, he slowly offered his hand to the boy, mirroring the scene that took place when he first met his Servant, the woman who held his heart. However, this time was vastly different. This man, though his face shielded by a rather demonic white helmet, gave off a strong coldness, "Human," His voice was hollow, echoing through the chaos, "is it power that you wish for?" The sound of the rain seemed to fade, all the boy's senses focusing on the mysterious man and his hand, "Do you wish to be that which cannot be beaten?"

"W-Who are you?" The boy asked in awe. He was far from being a good magus, but he could still feel the unearthly power radiating from his form.

"I will ask you again; do wish to be this Hero of Justice boy?" There was the slightest movement of his hand, commanding him to take it if he so wishes. It didn't take another word; the boy slowly took his hand, flinching at the lack of warmth and abundance of calluses.

"Make me stronger," The boy's eyes sparked with life, "make me strong enough to beat even the strongest of Servants." He received only a nod in response, "I am Emiya Shirou, who are you?"

He was silent until he reached up, removing his helmet to reveal striking ice-blue eyes and snow-white hair, "I am Gallium, Gallium Tenbatsu." His ice-blue eyes froze over as he stared down at Shirou, "I will make you the bone of your sword, steel will be your body and fire your blood. You will create over a thousand blades, unknown to death or to life. You will withstand great pain to create many weapons, yet your hands will never hold anything. This, I, Gallium Tenbatsu, swear on my life." With that, his grip tightened and he shook Shirou's hand once.

'_Little did I know that that night, among the dead bodies of Fuji-nee and Sakura, I would no longer be Emiya Shirou. No, from that moment forward, I was known as Tracer, apprentice to one of the greatest angels to ever live.'_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Shot number two, the last using the text seen in Burning Crusade, from here on out, it'll all be new information, a tale of why Archer ended up as broken as he was

**A/N: Shot number two, the last using the text seen in Burning Crusade, from here on out, it'll all be new information, a tale of why Archer ended up as broken as he was. Please enjoy!**

**Crimson Soundtrack: (songs suggested to listen to while reading, most can be found on youtube)**

Alcorus – Shine

Story of the Year- Black Swan

Matthew Good- Weapon

Skillet- Falling inside the Black

Receiving End of Sirens- Pale Blue Dot

Receiving End of Sirens- Epilogue

E Nomine- Lord's Prayer (English Version)

**When She Met the Angel of Death**

The surroundings were dreary to say the least. From an outsider's point of view, it was an empty city at night that was being drenched in pouring rain. The street-lights shown brightly in the dark of night, illuminating the articulated buildings that littered many points of said metropolis. From a top the buildings, it would appear to never end, this city of night. In the depths of this city, there was no sound of life, only the sound of rain pounding the surfaces of both the drenched streets and buildings. Close to, what was assumed to be, the center of this city, a huge tower's base began.

This tower stood out from all the rest of the city, its dark grey walls sticking out from with the black colored buildings that bowed before it. Its height was almost immeasurable, reaching up into the clouds that misted the sky and sent its legions of rain downwards.

BANG

A crack of lightning followed by the boom of both thunder, and the boom of a person being driven into the side of a building, divided the sky, illuminating the two battling warriors. Said person stepped out of the hole he been forced to make, his dark colored armor covered in dust. He dusted himself off and smacked the dust from the crimson cloth that flapped in the rainy weather. The warrior silently thanked the presence of his hood, which he wore to keep the rain out of his eyes and hair.

Through the darkness of night, the warrior's opponent stepped around the corner of an ally, his white armor contrasting his stark surroundings. Though life had now been found within the city's infinite bounds, silence still hung in the air, the rain making the only form of noise to the normal ear. Like the lightning that splits the sky, the warriors dashed at each other. The white warrior ducked under the punch of the crimson, driving his shoulder into the other's jaw. The White took advantage of his stunned state and grabbed his arm, and with a grunt, he flung the Crimson into the street pavement.

The Crimson warrior moved his head to the left, dodging the knuckles of his opponent. It did not help his own moral when he saw the pavement break upon impact, displaying the power behind the simple attack. Gathering his resolve again, the Crimson warrior pushed his enemy off of him with his knee, making sure to put some strength behind it. The White grunted in pain as he was flung off, flying a little ways down the street.

Once again, when the warriors stood, they were facing each other in a stoic staring match. Suddenly and swiftly, the White kicked the edge of a building near him, pieces of it flying off. However, when he extended his hand, the pieces formed a double-edged sword in his hand. In response his enemy's action, the Crimson warrior formed his trusty blades. In his left hand were a white sword, and a black one in his right. For the umpteenth time, the warriors charged, a red trail following the Crimson and a blue one following the White warrior. The clanging of blades echoed through the empty city as the warriors continued their battle, steel meeting steel, only to retreat and clash again.

The Crimson warrior leaped backwards when his opponent tried to sweep him off his feet. However, he did not know that he played into his enemy's hands either way. The White warrior brought his foot up and slammed it into the ground, breaking the pavement. As with the building's fragments, the fragments of pavement formed a weapon. It was a spear, and its master used it almost immediately. Now the Crimson had to fight off both a sword and a spear.

It was not long before the Crimson warrior was disarmed and forced to concede, "Alright, alright Gallium. You win… again." The Crimson warrior rolled to his feet and removed his hood, allowing the rain to cool his head. He ran a hand through his white hair and proudly displayed the smirk on his face.

"You did last longer than the last time Shirou; you've greatly exceeded all the humans I've seen in both wit and strength." Gallium removed his own hood and plopped down on the steps of the tower that rested in the "center" of the city. He looked up, his stoic expression flinching for only a second, "It's been raining here for as long as I remember."

Shirou shook his head, not surprised that his hair was already water-logged, "Yeah, same here. So what do we do now?" He sat beside Gallium and lounged on the steps, allowing his muscles to relax after the very long training session.

"I suggest you take a break, be human for a little while." Gallium slapped him on the back and stood up again. He ignored the look Shirou gave him and continued down the street, disappearing into the crisp darkness of the city they were in.

"Human huh," Shirou smirked again, "the question is, do I want to be human, if only for a little while?" He left the question unanswered and looked towards the circle of light that Gallium had left for him.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Fuyuki City had changed after the absence of one Rin Tosaka. It had been years ago that she left for London, and she was enjoying being back in Fuyuki, 'It still smells the same, no matter how weird that sounds.' Rin thought as she looked down from a top a tall building. Normally, she would not do such things, but this action helped her reacquaint herself with her old stomping ground. Suddenly, her face fell, remembering one of the reasons she wanted to come back, 'I better see Shirou, knowing him, he's probably still kicking himself.'

The beautiful Rin sighed and put a long strand of unruly hair back behind her ear. She rubbed her hands together and started back inside to go down, 'Stupid move Rin, it's freakin' winter and you're on top of a building… brilliant.' Rin mentally cursed herself and exited the building's lobby, taking to the bustling streets of Fuyuki.

Now, Rin knew all too well of what was going on around her as she followed her memory of how to get to the Emiya residence. Along the way, many males, and some females, stopped in their tracks, amazed by what they were seeing. The already hot teen had grown into a drop-dead gorgeous woman who literally beat men off of her with a sword… I mean stick. It took all Rin had not to either smirk or scowl at how some people looked at her.

With a flick of her hair and an extra stride to her step, Rin rounded the corner to come face to face with the Emiya residence. However, what met her eyes hit her hard where the heart is. The estate that once made her feel more welcome now looked empty and cold, as if nobody had lived in it for years, 'I wander if Shirou's home.' Rin cautiously approached the front door and knocked on it, hoping she'd see the face she had wanted to ever since she came back.

When there was no answer, Rin sighed again and went to pick the lock, 'Hey, I'd say it's just as much my home as it is Shirou's seeing how he let two women run the thing.' Rin rationalized.

"Can I help you?" A deep voice made Rin jump… literally, she jumped. The charcoal haired woman turned to see an unfamiliar person. Said man simply gave her a stoic look that asked 'What the heck are you doing here'.

"W-Who are you!?" Rin tried to place where she'd seen a tan skinned man with snow-white hair and blue-grey eyes before, 'Got to admit though,' Rin shot in, 'he doesn't look half bad.'

"Shirou Emiya, I live here, now who might you be?" Shirou's eyebrow rose when he saw Rin's mouth drop nearly to the ground.

"Shirou?" Rin examined him closely, "There is no way, is it really you?" Rin circled him and shook her head, "Nice try buddy, but there is absolutely no way you can be Emiya Shirou." Rin was about to continue, but she saw the man bend forward, as if looking deep into her very soul, 'Romance novels say that's romantic, but it's really creepy in reality.'

Shirou shot backwards, his eyes huge, "R-Rin?" He examined her entire form, "Wow, you've certainly… um… grown?"

"Now I believe you're Shirou." Rin gave him an expectedly disappointing look. However, it soon turned into a smile as she embraced him without hesitation. However, Shirou did hesitate, which made Rin look at him in confusion, "Something wrong?" She felt her breath catch when she saw the distant, stoic expression he was wearing.

"No, nothing, just not used to that kind of thing." He smoothly answered and took out his house-key. Without another word, Shirou unlocked the door and motioned for her to enter, "After you." Rin walked inside, keeping her gaze on this new Shirou.

'What happened to you Emiya?' Rin looked around the entrance of the residence and noted how… un-lived in it looked, "Have you been living here at all Shirou?" She meant it as a joke, but the man's answer made her breath catch again.

"No, I've been away for a long time." He took off the coat he had on and placed it on the rack, "You hungry? I can make us something." He was already in the kitchen, inspecting the fridge for anything he needed to throw out. He quickly thanked his friend/trainer for suggesting he come back a week ago. If it would've been later, the fridge would've been barren.

"That would be nice; I want to talk to you anyway." Rin sat down at the table and watched him closely. He pulled out some ingredients and began the art of making food, one art that Rin had yet to fully master, 'If burning down a kitchen even counts at all.' She continued watching him and noted all the changes she could. He moved with much more certainty and precision, as if he had been in the military before. His body looked as if it were crafted only to fight, his muscles covered by the black sweater and kakis he was wearing. Though Rin hated to admit it, she was starting to like how Shirou had changed physically, 'I bet he has women following him all over the place.'

"So what have you been up to lately?" Shirou tried to break her focus on him by starting conversation, even if he had grown accustomed to silence from being around Gallium a lot.

Rin waited before answering, choosing her words carefully, "Not much, how about you?" She smirked when he glanced up at her. He knew she was on to him, and she was enjoying it.

"Not much at all, so how are things in London?" Shirou retorted, gladly accepting her battle of being vague.

Rin glared at him playfully, "Nothing special. Dated here, learned a bit there, nothing I couldn't have done here. So have things been going well here in Fuyuki?" She folded her arms and watched him. She caught him stiffen for a fraction of a second, 'Check,'

"Things have been well, nothing bad has happened if that's what you're asking." Shirou bit back a curse when he saw a very cheeky smirk come on Rin's face, 'Dang she's good.'

'Checkmate,' Rin stood up and walked closer to Shirou, leaning over the counter that was between them, "Oh really, so I suppose a string of murders and a fire aren't bad things?" Rin thoroughly enjoyed her victory as she brought her face mere inches from Shirou's. However, when his eyes simply stared back into hers, she pouted, "Come on, no grimace like you used to do?"

Shirou gave an obvious fake one and returned to making them dinner. He stiffened when he felt her beside him, looking up at his stoic face, "Shirou, where have you been for all these years?"

"Nowhere… yet everywhere." He answered, deciding to use an answer Gallium had given him once. It was an honest answer masked in a simple, yet complex, riddle. He gave a slight yelp when he felt someone pinch his cheek and pull.

"Shirou Emiya, where have you been? And don't feed me stupid gibberish!" Rin demanded. She was getting fed up with his new attitude, as well as the strange feeling she was beginning to develop in the pit of her stomach. It made her eyes feel huge and made the back of her head burn as if it were on fire.

"I'm here now Rin, that's all that matters now." Shirou removed her hand and gave her a tiny smile, hoping she would calm down because of it.

Rin huffed, "Fine, but don't think this is the end of it." She returned to the table and continued examining every move he made, "Can you at least tell me how you got the white hair, weird eyes and tan skin?"

"After effect of a few experiments, nothing huge and exciting." Shirou answered. Once again, it was not a lie. It was a simple after effect of his training with Gallium. His body was in constant contact with pure mana, which affected his appearance greatly.

Fortunately for Shirou, that was the final question of the day. When their food was ready, they both simply ate and discussed how Rin had been in London in more detail. Throughout the discussion, Rin noted how attentive Shirou was, barely muttering a word throughout the entire conversation. Soon, it was time for them to get some shut-eye.

"You can take the room you had before if you want, I don't mind you staying here during your visit." Shirou turned to head for his own room, but Rin decided then was a good time to spring the truth on Shirou.

"Well actually," She laughed nervously, "I'm staying here indefinitely, so I just need a few days to get my stuff moved into my old mansion." She waited for Shirou to ask about her reasoning, but it never came. Shirou simply nodded his understanding and walked towards his room silently. Rin stood there dumbfounded again. Before long, her face settled into one of great concern, 'Shirou, did it really break you this bad?'

Rin's stay at the Emiya residence wasn't a horrible one, but it was not what she had hoped it to be. For the next few days, it was the same routine: wake up, eat, go separate ways, come back for dinner, talk a little, then go to sleep. However, everyday, Rin would get that same feeling as before until one night, she found out exactly what the feeling was.

Rin closed her door and slid down, hugging herself tightly. Without any way of stopping it, hot tears leaked from her teal eyes in uncontrollable amounts, as if making up for something. Rin sat there, sobbing and crying, trying to find out why exactly. It only took her a few minutes of deep thinking before she knew she was crying over Shirou.

**xxx**

Emiya Shirou rolled over in his bed. It had become annoyingly apparent that he was unable to sleep tonight for some odd reason. In the nights past, he had literally fallen asleep as soon as he laid down, enjoying how good it felt to be in his bed after going so long without it. However, it seems fate was not a lady tonight, as Shirou growled in frustration, 'Gallium usually said that if one could not sleep, it was because of something very important. So what the heck is it already!?'

As if fate heard his yell, the door to his bedroom opened. Shirou immediately sat up to look at a teary-eyed Rin simply standing there looking very pitiful, "Rin, what's wrong?" Shirou was further surprised when Rin flung herself onto him. Once again, he froze, not knowing what to do. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Rin and tried to comfort her.

"Shirou," Rin sobbed again and hugged him tighter, "please stop doing this to yourself." She felt his heart skip, "I know they all died in front of you, I know you wanted to save them so badly, I know you blame yourself, but please stop punishing yourself for something that wasn't your fault!"

He was stuck, he had no response to this plea, for he had no way of controlling the feelings that constantly plagued him. He simply held her as she sobbed into him, hoping that by remaining silent, she'll be satisfied. He felt horrible for it, not being able to make her feel better. However, he knew lying would only make for bad blood later on. No, he'd simply remain quite on the subject and dodge the question.

Making sure to act as calm as possible, Shirou spoke with an even voice. Heck, he even forced a smirk for good measure, "Rin, will you come with me somewhere tomorrow?"

Rin looked up in confusion, still sniffling from her breakdown, "Shirou, this is hardly the time to ask me on a date." She chuckled through her still falling tears, glad she could still muster her spunky attitude in this embarrassing situation.

Shirou chuckled himself, "It's not a date Rin, I want you to come with me when I visit them tomorrow." He saw her nod and smiled a small smile. It was enough for Rin to satisfy her.

"Um, do you think I can stay in here tonight?" Rin looked down in slight embarrassment, feeling very foolish being so.

"Now who's asking things at an inappropriate time." Shirou smirked when she glared at him, but he allowed it. After all, his room was warmer than the others, which is the only reason why Rin wanted to stay… at least that's what they told themselves so they could get some sleep.

**xxx**

It was a crisp winter morning when the pair left the Emiya residence, both wearing black. Along the way, many people gave them looks of various kinds as they passed by. Some looked on in envy at the pair, while other in pity, figuring they were going to visit passed acquaintances.

It seemed like only seconds before they came upon the cemetery, examining the row after row of tombstones that marked the dead, "Shirou, wouldn't they be buried in different places?" Rin asked out of curiosity. How where they going to visit them all at once?

"They said they didn't find remains, but they didn't know I used them to make burials of my own." Shirou calmly said as he continued to the oldest part of the cemetery. Rin was taken back when she saw three graves with elaborate tombstones. If not for their purpose, Rin would've said they were works of pure art.

Shirou silently went over how each one had died. Ilya was the first, but her passing was a natural one. She had not told them of her illness until it was far too late to save her. This weighed heavily on Shirou's mind, seeing how Ilya looked at him as if he were her older brother. The next was Fuji-ne and Sakura. Their deaths were the ones that stained his clothes crimson. They had been killed by some beast that came from the shadows. Out of pure anger, Shirou had killed the thing, but it had already taken both women from him, "That's when he showed up."

Rin looked at Shirou, "He?" She questioned.

"Me," Both of them looked over to see a familiar, at least to Shirou, angel sitting on top of an old tombstone. Ironically, the monument next to him was of the angel of death, which only made Rin shiver.

"Who are you?" Rin looked at Gallium, slightly scared of his appearance. He was in full battle dress, which included a helmet with a very intimidating mask. The mask looked completely white, save for two slits for the eyes and one for the mouth. He looked like a ghost ready to slaughter hundreds.

'_I was foolish back then. I hadn't figured that Rin would only press harder upon meeting Gallium. I still to this day can't figure what Gallium was thinking. A part of me knows he didn't really care, and another part could feel his… apprehension. I think he knew, he knew that that meeting would seal all three of our fates.' _


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for the positive responses, I really appreciate it as always. From here on out, the story will be completely new, revealing what exactly made Archer choose the path he did. **

**Disclaimer: Don't I wish I owned Fate/Stay Night and TYPE-MOON for that matter… but I don't.**

**London**

The streets of London England were cold, the winter wind biting at those who walked to their varying destinations. In particular, one pedestrian was making her way to her humble apartment, books in hand. Her expression was passive, hiding the still lingering disappointment and loneliness. It had been three months since she went to Japan, three months since the Magic Association called her back on official business. However, this was hardly the subject that bothered her. It was the fact that, though she remembered seeing Emiya Shirou, she could not remember anything past that, save for the night she spent in his room. For an entire month, she tried to recall his words, what he had said to her back then, only to come up blank.

"Boo," Rin jumped when someone suddenly flung arms around her from behind, "long time no see Rinny." A woman with tanned skin and short, chocolate brown hair grinned at the shocked Rin.

Rin sighed, calming down as soon as she recognized her friend, "Clair, you always end up scaring me." She gave the still grinning Clair a stern look, "Why can't you simply say hello like normal people?"

Clair groaned and rolled her eyes, "That's sooooo boring! Besides," Smiling cutely, "would you have me any other way?"

Rin continued walking, "I wouldn't have given you the suggestion if I didn't."

"Rin, that's so mean!" Clair kept pace with her, examining Rin's form for the hundredth time. Rin was wearing her favorite winter coat, fluffy brown fur around the collar to keep her neck warm. Her eyes dropped to her legs, seeing the black jeans and shoes with red laces.

Rin saw the disapproving look Clair was giving her and sighed, "What is it this time Clair?"

The bubbly woman shook her head, "Rin, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a guy considering some of the things you wear." A flash of mischief went through her hazel eyes as her grin returned, "You doing anything later today?"

Rin stopped, eyes wide with horror, "Oh no, that was a one time deal, you promised!" A slight pink tint stained her cheeks, a mixture of the embarrassing images in her head and the cold.

Clair simply shrugged, "You act like I'm going to murder you the way you react." She immediately went into the 'puppy-dog-look-mode' to try and wear Rin out, something that she always found easy, "Aw, come on Rin, I really need your help with my newest line, your body is so perfect for it!"

Rin held strong for a full ten seconds, a new record for anyone who knew Clair. However, her resolve eventually broke and she sighed heavily, "Fine, I'll be the model for your newest concoctions." Her teal eyes snapped up to Clair's, giving her a solid glare, "But I am _not_ going to wear them regularly."

Clair jumped up in the air and let out a happy giggle, "Oh thank you Rin, you're such a good friend!" She hugged the downtrodden magus before going into Rin's last statement, "Rin, if you were to wear my stuff regularly, guys would drool over you more than they already do."

"I'm not too sure I'd like that, it's already annoying." Rin wiggled out of Clair's arms and dusted herself off. She looked back at her friend, only to meet her large hazel gaze, "What?" Rin yelped when Clair circled around her, sniffing her shoulder and hair like a maniac, "Would you quit it!" Rin shoved her away, a little freaked out, "What the heck is your problem!?"

Clair stared at Rin with a blank expression. In seconds, the stoic face twisted into a very intrigued grin, "You smell like a girl who already has herself a target my dear friend." Clair's grin grew when Rin growled and stormed towards Clair's studio, the energetic woman following, "Oh come on Rin, is he tall, is he handsome, does he have any cute friends!?"

**xxx**

"I need a shower," Rin groaned, turning the knob to exit Clair's studio. She had just suffered through the fitting of the evening gown her friend was working on, her 'biggest fashion show ever' posters being the only thing to stare at. Sighing to herself, Rin walked down the cold streets once more, smiling slightly as her thoughts dwelt on Clair. They were opposites, but she was one of Rin's best friends. They bumped into each other at one of her ex-boyfriend's parties, particularly the one she dumped him at. Clair had been in the crowd and seemed to admire how Rin put a leash on the rather wealthy man and then coldly throw him out for the world to laugh at him. It wasn't too long afterwards that Clair asked her to help with her fashion designs, agreeing to pay a model's salary and ensure a normal person's privacy. Nope, no shows for Rin, only being a living mannequin.

Putting the issue aside, Rin turned the corner to get to her apartment complex. Luckily, she had found a nice place near the Magic Association's London Facility, allowing easy access to her main job. She did little more than research and personal study, but she also got to investigate a few minor cases for the higher ups every so often. It was her dream job, a goal she'd been trying to reach since her father went off to fight in the 4th Grail War. Rin shook her head subtly, not wanting to give rise to any buried memories she'd rather forget, "Evening Mr. O'Brian," Rin addressed the large landlord standing in the complex lobby, "what are you doing here? You usually don't come into the complexes much."

O'Brian turned to the curious woman and gave her a hearty smile, "Ah, if it isn't my favorite wee lass." He chuckled when Rin gave him a stern look, "Ever the serious type I see; I'm here on official business… or was at least."

Rin's eyebrow rose, "Business, what type of business?"

O'Brian shrugged, "Got word that this fancy business tycoon wanted to rent an apartment, something about 'official business' of his own. I wanted to check him out myself, seeing how I rarely see his type coming to this complex." The large landlord made his way past Rin, "Be careful lass, he rented the room next to yours, be sure to keep your wits about you and give me a call if there's any trouble."

Rin nodded calmly and started for the elevator, "Thank you Mr. O'Brian," Rin turned to him and smiled innocently, "I'll be sure to welcome him to the complex if he tries anything." Rin pressed the button to her floor and closed her eyes. She mentally went through O'Brian's words, sifting through the possibilities. O'Brian was involved with the Association, giving good housing for magus at an affordable price. However, this complex wasn't close to any major business, thus there was no reason for anyone to come here if it wasn't Association business. Taking a deep breath, Rin went through the complex specs she was told about. Each floor had two, large apartments on them, each having two bedrooms, a large bathroom, a full sized kitchen, a living room, and a dining room, 'He's obviously staying for awhile if he's renting such an extravagant place, but why here if it's normal business?' Rin fingered the object in her coat pocket suspiciously, 'He's more than likely after someone in the Association.'

The elevator door dinged, sliding open. Rin, eyes still closed, walked out of the elevator and into someone. She faltered and opened her eyes, seeing the black suit coat of whoever she ran into. She froze and looked up at the man's face, teal meeting dark sunglasses. Her eyes widened and the man recoiled back, the glasses falling off partially to show blue-grey eyes, "S-SHIROU!?"

Shirou quickly recovered and took a deep breath, "Didn't expect that one." He said coolly and smirked, "Good to see you again Rin."

Rin allowed her mind to process this before speaking, "Uh, yeah, good to see you too… I think. Are you the one who rented out that apartment?" She pointed to the second door in the long hallway.

Shirou nodded, "Yeah, it wasn't too easy, that O'Brian guy seemed pretty suspicious of me." He scratched his head, mentally cringing at his actions.

Rin watched him suspiciously, knowing his persona had reverted back to his old self, "Well, we'll have to get together sometime and talk, you're going to need a guide around town." She offered her usual smile and amused smile at seeing him chuckle weakly.

"I'll be sure to give you a ring," Shirou walked past her and into the elevator, "perhaps tomorrow, if you're free that is." Rin nodded and waved goodbye, Shirou pressing the button to the ground-floor. As soon as the elevator door closed, Shirou's face went blank, two gloved hands smoothing back his white hair, 'Definitely unexpected, I'll have to keep her nose distracted while I'm here.'

Little did Shirou know, Rin was already highly suspicious of him. She glared at the elevator door for awhile, 'Emiya Shirou, you're up to something,' She turned to walk to her apartment door, "and now you think I'm too stupid to notice." A smirk of amusement and mischief appeared on her face, "This time, I'll get the truth out of you." As she entered her living room, Rin's thoughts returned to the gap of missing memory of her visit to Japan. Her heart of hearts knew Shirou was behind the memory loss, somehow he was the cause, "I'll think about it later." Rin sighed and tried to relax, starting with a long hot bath using her favorite scented soap.

'_I don't think she understood then, she was definitely suspicious, but she had no idea. The next day, I'd be forced to make a choice, a choice I often question to this day. I probably should've ended all ties to her at that moment.'_

**A/N: Heh, anyone else smelling quite the fun time with Shirou/Archer and Rin? I do. A bit of action in the next chapter, nothing large-scale but action none the less. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow, recently saw subs for the Kara no Kyoukai movie, the first to be exact (veoh is my best friend). It was really good, a bit slow, but that's TYPE-MOON's style. I'm looking forward to seeing the second when it's subbed in July… I think. Check it out, a must see for any TYPE-MOON fan. Anyway, enough free advertising, time to get back to the story.**

**It All Started When He Told Her the Truth**

The morning was bright, the sun shining down on the still chilly London streets. Many more people moved about on this Saturday morning, some off work and spending time with family, others simply enjoying the day. In Mystical Heights, the sun spilled into the otherwise dark apartment of one Emiya Shirou. He opened his eyes and glared out the window, asking why God insisted on creating the sun in the first place. He sat up and placed his feet onto the soft white carpet, thinking over his situation briefly.

Three months ago, Gallium had come to him while he was visiting the graves with Rin. He had erased Rin's memory of seeing him and proceeded to talk to Shirou. While Rin was unconscious, Gallium told Shirou about their latest assignment, one that might take a few years if their luck didn't hold out. As soon as Rin returned to London for Association business, they had left on the next flight for Germany. They sniffed around Berlin for nearly three months, splitting up afterwards. Gallium had gone to New York to follow a lead they'd found, while Shirou went to London to look into another matter. It was a well organized plan despite the messy execution.

He was to remain here and monitor the activities in the famous city, using the Big Ben clock tower as a rally point of the other angels stationed here. Yesterday, he had gone to Big Ben, meeting the two angels, that would offer backup upon request. As always, he was given the name 'Tracer' for the assignment, a call sign that soon became a full fledged nickname, 'Now,' Shirou looked in the general direction of Rin's apartment, 'how to keep Rin from sniffing around too much.' A few ideas presented themselves at that time, but he had to beat them back with the fact that Rin wasn't a demon; he had to show restraint, "I'll think of something while she shows me around."

He quickly showered and got dressed, putting on a pair of black khakis, a white polo with sapphire stripes, and a black cashmere jacket. Slipping on his sunglasses, he started out. A thought suddenly struck him as his hand grazed the knob: his hair. Yesterday he remembered getting a few strange looks, his white hair attracting some unneeded attention. Sure, people dye their hair all the time, but it made him stick out too much. He placed a skull-cap over his head, ignoring his apprehension. Perhaps Rin would get suspicious if he went out like this. Shrugging, Shirou opened the door, only to see Rin standing in front of him, "Y-You're… early?" He quickly checked his watch, stunned.

Rin smiled at him, leaning in so she could tease, "I'm hurt Shirou," She turned away, feigning anger, "I happen to be quite the punctual person I'll have you know."

Shirou stared at her in disbelief and prepared to voice his opinion when a voice stopped him, "Oh Ri-nny!" Teal and grey eyes shot to the elevator to see none other than Clair waving energetically. Her eyes suddenly focused on a shocked Rin and then to a curious Shirou, eventually settling on a knowing grin, "Ooh," She was in front of Shirou in seconds, "who's this handsome guy?"

Shirou leaned back as Clair leaned towards him, "Emiya Shirou, I-,"

Clair immediately cut him off, "Oh, that's a Japanese name, do you know Rin from Japan!?" Shirou didn't get the chance to answer before Rin yanked Clair aside, eyes reflecting burning coals of anger.

"Clair," Rin whispered through a tight jaw, "why are you here?" Her eyes told Clair to answer carefully, or she might have to limp home.

Clair, completely unaffected by Rin's glare, examined her clothing. She was wearing her usual favorite coat, black jeans, and a red turtle-neck. Clair shook her head slightly, "Oh Rin, you poor dear. Here you are with your hot old friend and you have nothing but rags to wear." Clair's hazel eyes went starry, "Do not worry Rinny, I, Clarah von Lipton, will provide you with my latest, unreleased line to help you snag this man!"

"Um," Shirou started weakly, "I'm right here you know, I can hear you."

Rin tightened her grip on Clair's arm, "Clair, I'm warning you, you have three seconds to spill your reason for being here or else."

"Or you can just ignore me, that's fine too."

Clair simply flashed a check and smiled cutely, "Check," She flapped it around, her perky grin still in place.

Rin snatched the check and quickly pocketed it, "Fine, thanks, now leave."

Clair pouted and looked to Shirou, "Aw, but I want to get to know your newest boy-toy better," She was once again deep inside his personal space, "like if he has any cute friends for example."

Shirou stared back blankly, "Boy… toy?" He felt his eye twitch, 'Who the heck talks like that?' His blank look turned into a slight, calculated glare, 'HEY, WHO'S SHE CALLING BOY!?'

Rin's glare intensified, until she had a stroke of pure genius that is. She saw the color in Shirou's face fade slightly as her mischievous grin grew in all its glory, "You know what Clair," She now all smiles, arm flung around Clair's shoulders, "you're right, why don't we all gather at my place and get to know each other?" Her eyes met Shirou's, a dark shadow looming inside them. While Clair gave cute 'yay', Rin's dark plan of getting answers out of Shirou was already put into motion, "Meet us here at six, we'll get some dinner and talk."

"Alright, sounds like a plan," Clair grinned at Shirou, "don't treat her too rough now." She yelped when Rin forcefully shoved her into the elevator, a blush on her face, "Aw, Rin's turning red!" The door closed before Rin could slip in to choke the crazy fashion designer.

Absolute silence followed Clair's exit, as 'fun-filled' as it was. Eventually, after Shirou was sure Rin was calm, he coughed, "You have an… interesting choice of friends." Rin simply looked at him, at a loss for words, "Who is she anyway; I've never heard of Clarah von Lipton."

Rin gave him a strange look for a split second before tucking this strange ignorance away, "She's the lead designer of a fashion design firm. She's pretty good and obviously loves what she does." Smoothing down the fur on her coat collar, Rin started for the elevator, "Let's go, I assume I'll need to show you the usual hang-out places and closest stores."

Shirou nodded, his mind calculating his next move. He needed to tread carefully; there was no telling what could interrupt this little tour. He must be ready for anything.

**xxx**

"Alright," Rin pointed across the street, "there's the coffee shop, Starbucks, it's pretty good." She motioned towards the street to their right, "All down here is mostly small stores, mostly antiques."

"You mean secretly magical items." Shirou chuckled when Rin gave him a stern glare.

Shaking her head, Rin turned to their left, "You watch too many movies. Down there, at the end of this street, is a large library. I go there a lot to get a few books." She started across the street to Starbucks, "About three blocks down after you take a right here is a big church, Sacred Mount Church, I think."

Shirou hesitated upon hearing that name, his eyes going to the street name and memorizing it. He quietly followed Rin, both ordering their coffee and taking a seat at n empty table near the windows, "So, how's your work at the Association going?"

Rin shrugged, "It's going okay, a little boring and uneventful, but okay." She tilted her head and smirked, "What's with the sudden interest?" He simply shrugged and returned to sipping his coffee. Rin watched closely, noticing that he seemed… less open all of a sudden. It was as if he were bipolar now. First he was his old self, and now he's… well he's back to the 'New Shirou' as she called it, "How are things in Japan?"

Shirou looked at her, trying to see if she was trying her same trick. He mentally groaned, unable to read her, "Good I suppose."

"I hear fish and gas have gone up, how's that been for you?"

"I deal with it."

"How about the relationship with the U.S., I hear that China gave you guys quite a scare."

"It's under control."

Rin's calm face remained, but her gaze said it all, "You're lying." He gave no response, "YOU'RE LYING TO ME _AGAIN_!" She slammed her fist onto the table and stood up, not caring that everyone in Starbucks had stopped to watch. Shirou didn't look at her, focusing on the child laughing as he walked with his mother, "Only gas went up, and not even by much, it wasn't China that gave Japan a scare, it was North Korea. You haven't even _been_ to Japan since I left have you!" She accused, giving her audience a 'stay-out-of-this' look and sat back down. Immediately, everyone minded their own business again, "I'm going to get the truth," She whispered to him, "I will know where you've been Shirou, you need to… hey!" Rin saw him stand up and quietly walk out.

Sighing, Rin slumped back down into her seat, rubbing her temples. She hated doing this, caring so much, but if she didn't, who would? In the past, she mostly let Fujimura and… Sakura handle him. Ignoring the ache that came from remembering Sakura, Rin stood up herself. Nobody else was left to care about him, and she was not about to lose another person she cherished. Not wasting another moment, she threw her coffee away and went after Shirou.

She followed him down towards Big Ben, weaving through the crowd to keep him in her sights. She stayed far enough back to avoid being caught, not quite sure what she'd say to him. However, one block away from the old clock-tower, he spoke, "How long are you going to follow me!?" Rin stopped, eyes wide. Rin was about to respond when a shadow leaped past her, passing through anybody that was in its way. She could see claws, aiming for Shirou's head as it pounced, "Shir-" Rin's hand flew into her coat pocket, but she hadn't so much as touched the orb before Shirou and the beast were gone, "What the heck?"

**xxxxx**

Shirou stood atop a souvenir shop, removing his skull-cap and sunglasses. He looked towards the demon that had appeared, an offspring of the Demon Wolf Gamorah, "Do you have a name, or do I just call you mutt?"

"Speak carefully Tracer; your keeper isn't here to save you from my fangs." The wolf growled and prepared to pounce.

Shirou sighed as the wolf leaped for him, "I'm really not in the mood right now." He spun around, tracing a short lance. As the wolf came closer, he ducked under the pounce and drove the lance into the wolf's underbelly, black blood splattering around him. The demon wolf howled in pain and slammed onto the rooftop, its body soon becoming nothing but ashes and dust, "At least there's no mess to clean up." He looked down at the street below, seeing Rin look around frantically, 'Rin… I wish I could tell you, but… this world is too dangerous to be involving other people.'

'A wise choice _Tracer_,' Shirou looked up upon hearing the voice in his head, immediately looking to the adjacent rooftop. There, watching Rin himself, was a man in a black suit. His hair was white, a layer of black underneath. His eyes were a blood red, matching the shirt he was wearing with a black tie. His hands were covered with leather gloves, on glove having a crimson palm, 'I must say, quite the catch.'

**xxxx**

Rin suddenly froze, feeling a massive increase in mana around her. She focused, finding the source was above her. As soon as she looked up, a cold chill shot down her spine, the image of crimson eyes flashing through her vision. She resisted the urge to run, focusing on finding Shirou instead. However, her search ended when someone snatched her arm, dragging back towards the apartment complex, "H-Hey," Rin was ready to hit the bold person, but when she saw it was indeed Shirou, she settled on a glare. Mentally, she noticed his air change, his persona changing to a sharp, cold one, "Shirou," Her eyes went back to looking at the sky, "does it have something to do with whatever had those crimson eyes?"

"Yeah," Shirou continued to head straight home, "I have a feeling he's the one I'm trying to kill." He felt Rin's hand leave his, instantly turning to look at her. He forced himself to look away, seeing the look in her eyes.

Rin stared with a mixture of uncertainty and shock. Now she was able to identify what the feeling was. It was as if Shirou was a completely different person, "Is that why you left Japan?" Rin's eyes showed how serious she was, "Is he the one behind Fujimura and Sakura's death?"

Shirou simply turned around and entered the complex, "It's a quarter to two, let's use the rest of the time to talk before Clair shows up." He didn't see the hurt look on her face, the impact that his prior persona was nothing more than a shroud, a way to slip by her without her notice. He had thought she was stupid enough to believe it _again_.

'_Looking back, I should've done it sooner. She deserved to know, seeing how she was the last person who knew me. That's right, I had erased my existence from Fuyuki on my first visit, after bidding my friends farewell. She was, quite literally, the last person I had left.'_

**A/N: Seems the big dogs are starting to pop up, however, what will the future hold for these two? In case you haven't noticed, there will be a good bit of angst, seeing how Archer's story is a tragedy. Please continue to read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Like I said, this isn't going to be long, seeing how I'm weeding out the tedious stuff and getting to the point

**A/N: Like I said, this isn't going to be long, seeing how I'm weeding out the tedious stuff and getting to the point. A lot of facts to remember in this chapter, so please refer to the end of the chapter for terms to know. **

**First Strike**

The night was cold, a light snow befalling the quiet city of London. The moon was large in the sky, looking down at the lightly coated buildings, streets, and idle vehicles. Only three blocks from the Magic Association's London Branch, a humble church withstood the winter cold firmly. The walls were decorated with small sculptures of angels and chivalrous knights, the many seasons wearing them away. Its design resembled many European buildings related to religion, even the windows holding a form of beauty to them.

It was in this environment, a lone figure stood at an altar. The auditorium was empty, the pews barren and lights dimmed. The moonlight spilled in through the windows, casting an ethereal glow on the quiet angelic statues. He was wearing the traditional clothes of a church Father, a bible held in his left hand firmly. The silence hung until the stroke of midnight sounded throughout the area, the sound of the large door creaking open joining in song. Dim, blue eyes turned to the door, seeing four men walk in calmly, "Ah, right on time. I would expect no less from members of the Twelve." He admired the blue uniforms they were wearing, clothes similar to members of the Burial Agency.

The four men walked in, stopping at a place where their faces could be partially visible, "Full of uplifting words as always Father Nelson," The one of average height took off his hat respectfully, showing his buzzed brown hair. He took a seat in the first pew, his companions following suit.

Father Nelson nodded, "I only speak truth Andrew." He looked to the largest of the four, "I'm certain you must be serious if you bring Peter along with you." He only received a grunt and nod from the large man.

Andrew glanced at the man beside him, nodding sharply, "John,"

John adjusted his glasses and returned the nod, "As good as fluffy pleasantries are," His sharp green eyes looked to the calm Father, "we have important business Father Nelson, do you have the item?"

Nelson simply reached into his pocket and withdrew a golden amulet, a strange symbol emblazoned on it in gold, "Yes, it was a success. It seems my studies in the Magic Association can still prove handy to the will of God." He tossed the amulet to the fourth and last member of the Twelve.

Andrew smirked and nodded, "James, you know what to do." He stared at the ceiling, James quickly pivoting to leave. Silence hung amongst the church as the sounds of James's boots echoed briskly, "Well, I suppose that does it for us." Andrew stood up.

"If I may," Father Nelson watched James leave, "why do you need such a thing, and how did you come upon it?" Curiosity flashed through his eyes, a detail John easily caught.

John closed his eyes, facing the door, "We found the amulet amongst the vast treasures in Cairo, Egypt. Upon intense study, we found that the amulet works much like the artifacts used to summon Epic Spirits in the Holy Grail War." He glanced back to see the slight shock on Nelson's face, "As I'm sure you know, artifacts are used to summon Epic Spirits. For example, one might use the spear of Achilles to summon that particular hero."

Nelson nodded his understanding, "Then what spirit does the amulet summon?"

John shrugged, "Who knows?" He made no effort to mask his sarcasm. He didn't need to look to see the glare Father Nelson was giving him.

Andrew chuckled loudly and slapped the Father on the shoulder, "Don't get your shorts in a bunch Nelson," A sinister look came onto his features as he slowly stepped away, "you won't live long enough to really care." As soon as he finished speaking, a bullet shattered through the nearest window and into Father Nelson's head, never seeing the cross engraved into the tip. Andrew put his hat back on, "I tell yah what," He started for the door, "Matthew's aim just gets better and better." He glanced towards the shattered window, picturing the unnoticed fifth member nestled in his 'Sniper Nest'.

BANG

All attention went to the large oak doors as they crashed open, James flying through. He landed on the middle isle and slid just in front of Andrew's feet, nose broken. James struggled to his knees and growled fiercely, "That guy's not human."

Andrew followed his comrade's gaze to a person standing in the doorway, the light of the moon casting a shadow over his body. All he could see were two grey eyes, both shining eerily in the night, "John," Andrew looked to the not too happy member of the Twelve, "get out of here, I'll cover your flank." He drew a combat knife from his coat and a 9mm pistol.

John looked to the intruder and started to the exit, Peter hoisting up James easily. All three slipped out the back exit, leaving Andrew alone with the mysterious guest. The man smirked and leaned against the doorframe, "Well, I guess that leaves you and me doesn't it?" He took out the amulet and examined it.

Andrew glared at the intruder, "How did you get that from James so easily…?" He left the end open for a name, pointing the pistol threateningly.

He chuckled and stepped into the light, "You can call me Tracer for the rime being." He gripped the amulet, a shallow crack splitting it in half, "Put the weapons down, or I'll crush it."

Andrew chuckled lightly and fired the gun, aiming for the amulet itself. He was slightly shocked when Tracer vanished, leaving the amulet to shatter on impact, "I frankly don't care about that particular amulet." He spun around, stopping his knife at Tracer's throat.

"You're good," He applied more pressure with the knife he had at Andrew's back and at the back of his neck.

Andrew smirked, "Same to you," He glared even harder, "Tracer!" Both spun away from each other, Andrew firing three shots at Shirou. Shirou didn't bother dodging, having reinforced the turtle-neck he had on. The bullets hit with little to no damage, earning another look of surprise from Andrew, "I see," He spun the pistol on his finger, "you're from the Magic Association aren't you?"

Tracer shook his head, "Nope," He returned Andrew's glare, "just a guy offering some Divine Intervention!" He charged Andrew, snapping to the left and right to avoid the bullets fired by his opponent. When he was close enough, he attempted to slash at Andrew's midsection, melting into an attempt to stab him in the neck when Andrew dodged. Ignoring the irritation of failing to deliver a killing blow, Tracer went on the defense, Andrew retaliating. He blocked a downwards strike, only to stare into the barrel of Andrew's pistol. He leaned back as far as he could, dodging the first bullet, but unable to dodge another. Luckily, it never came. They backed away from each other, Andrew taking the chance to reload his gun while Shirou reconfigured his knives. He decided to electrify them, recalling a program he watched on TV in his apartment, "So, you going to tell me what you guys are up to?"

Andrew grunted, "You know the answer to that." He holstered his gun, keeping his hand on the handle, and got into a one-handed stance, "You going to tell me why you're interested."

Tracer smirked, "You should know the answer to that." He spun to his knees, ducking under a shot to the head and rolled behind the pews, dodging two more shots. Andrew would quickly draw his pistol and shoot, holstering it again to throw Shirou off. It nearly worked, but Shirou's speed neutralized the tactic. He leaped out from the pews and fired a Searing Shot spell as he changed isles, the beam of mana missing Andrew by a hair.

'That's not human magic.' Andrew stared at Shirou, both facing off in the center isle again. He took his hand off the gun and charged, using his open hand to redirect Shirou's strike and going for his chest. Tracer twisted around, throwing the strike off, the knife tearing his black sweater instead. They held eachother's arms at bay, making it a test of strength and positioning. Much to Andrew's displeasure, Tracer won, grabbing him and throwing Andrew into the pews. The mysterious Twelve rolled to his feet and charged again, this time feigning right. He grabbed Shirou's right wrist and pressed a pressure point, twisting so that he would release one of his knives.

Tracer bit back a growl of frustration and kicked Andrew away, 'I've just about enough of this conventional crap.' He threw his knife into the floor and got into a crouched position, "When in doubt," His body began glowing a fiery orange, "use magic!" He charged, his body disappearing in a beam of orange light until he slammed into Andrew, the shocked human flying back as his knife dropped to the floor. His body hit the large sculpture of the Virgin Mary with a sick thud and then dropped to the altar, finally slipping to the floor. Blood gushed from his mouth, the sheer impact of all three events shattering a few bones.

Andrew wiped the blood from his mouth and watched Tracer near the corpse of Father Nelson, forcing his mouth not to twist into a smirk, "James was correct," Andrew painfully got to his knees, "you're definitely not a normal person." He looked to a small red dot slowly making its way up to Tracer's head, "But I think you're human none-the-less."

Tracer gave Andrew a strange look, allowing his eyes to wander slightly to the polished plates on the face of the altar. His eyes widened when he saw the red dot in his reflection, immediately ducking and leaning back. He felt a searing pain in his leg, registering the whizzing sound he heard as a bullet passed his head. He rolled to the side, keeping his eyes to Andrew as the injured man threw a small object towards him. There was a quick flash and a loud bang before his senses went numb, his eyes slightly blinded and ears ringing loudly, 'Flash-bang!'

Andrew took the chance to make a run for the back exit, one hand gripping his ribs in pain as he limped along. He mentally thanked his comrades as he saw a black, 2008 Cadillac CTS pull up the street. The back door opened and Andrew jumped in, the car speeding away before Shirou could make his way to the back door of the church.

Tracer slammed his fist into the wall, watching as the blurry image of the Cadillac sped away, 'Stupid modern technology!' He got up and leaned against the pew of the church, the effects still lingering, "That was military grade stuff," He made sure to stay away from the windows, "these guys are serious trouble." Before long, the stun grenade wore off, Shirou standing to exit the church carefully, "Sean," He spoke to the unseen angel at the door, "is that sniper still there?"

Sean was silent for awhile, "No, Amber saw him leave with that Cadillac. She's tailing it now." The orange haired being leaned against the wall and offered tossed a bottled water to Shirou, "So how did that talk you had with that woman go?"

Shirou drained half the bottle and visibly shivered, "She's gotten scary over the years." He smirked, remembering the piercing conversation. As he went through the talk, his smirk disappeared, remembering how Rin seemed to become more emotional the more he dodged her prying.

_Her apartment was just like her mansion back in Fuyuki: elegantly decorated, but void of any real warmth and passion. He had to keep from laughing as he entered, his new found immunity to the fears of the average person feeling all the more apparent in the situation. He could feel Rin watch him move, sensing a hesitation between glaring and simply staring in curiosity. Shirou made his way to the small kitchen table, taking a seat with his back to the wall. Few would find it strange, but Rin noted the now cautious positioning. _

_Every step, every move was calculated. It was as if he was always expecting an attack of some sort. Rin found herself longing for his old self, no matter how much he got on her nerves back then. He seemed so… distant now, like before he was involved in the Grail War. She kept her face expressionless, but the ever so slight inward movement of her lip did not go unnoticed, "So… spill."_

_Shirou remained silent, observing her, "I'm afraid I don't," He didn't get the chance to finish as Rin slammed her hands on the table, her bangs hiding her stormy eyes. When she looked up at him, he was shocked. He had expected a glare, a shot of electricity aimed to crack him by force. In its place, her eyes were moist, showing a mix of anger, hurt, and frustration._

_"Stop lying to me," She meant to yell at him again, but it didn't work out to her planning. Her heart was blowing her mind to the side, taking control in a rare case of complete honesty, "Shirou, please let me back in, don't kick me out in the cold like you did the others." _

_Shirou knew what she was talking about. It seemed like ages ago, but it was during his phase of withdrawal, a time when he was introverted to a point of emotional bankruptcy. He had stopped talking to his old friends at school, stopped talking to Taiga and Sakura. He still showed some caring for Ilya, but even that seemed lifeless compared to before. Rin was the only different case. She had left for London before he got a chance to shut her out, unable to sever the ties during her rare visits. To him, she was a stranger, but to her, he was still a dear friend, "I can't," Shirou stated with no emotion, "I dared to b selfish, dared to try to live, and I was punished for it." He didn't flinch when Rin snatched his collar into her fists, the expected anger boiling to the surface._

_"Don't even think for a second I wasn't suffering too Shirou! Sakura was my sister, and I wasn't even there to save her!" She freely showed how fed up she was with his self pity, "At least you knew immediately. I didn't know until three weeks later! Where were you, huh? You just left without even telling your closest loved ones what was going on!"_

_Shirou returned her gaze calmly, "I thought this conversation was about my reason for being in London, not my past actions."_

_Rin's grip tightened, "This is all connected to it and you know it!" She shook him lightly, "You're involved with something big and you need help!"_

_"I have all the help I need." Silence followed his response, Rin letting go of his collar and taking a seat again._

_She focused her eyes on the high-quality table, examining the natural wooden patterns for the very first time. For a full ten minutes, they said nothing, letting the clock tick away until Clair's arrival. As the time neared, Rin decided to try one more time, "Don't do this Shirou," She felt his attention on her, "don't put yourself through the pain of keeping secrets from those that care." Her words were sincere, using a tone she only used around those she trusted with her very life. She didn't know when it had happened, but Shirou had attained that trust. Yes, his childish ideal got on her nerves. Yes, he was completely ignorant to the world she was so deep in. However, with all these facts in mind, his sheer honesty and steadfastness had won her over. She had admired him from afar before, but only upon getting up-close did she admit her feelings for him. Love was too powerful a word to use; it was more along the lines of romantic admiration. She, 'romantically admired' him because he was not like her in any way; in a sense, her polar opposite. He was so honest, a fact that made his current state all the more hurtful. _

_Shirou considered her words and her presence. He had never seen her look so helpless before, it was strange. He often wondered why she even liked him in the first place. She was the last person he'd expect to become a close friend, but once they had met, truly met, he couldn't help but get close. Issei, his trusted friend, had warned him, but he didn't care. It was a selflessness that allowed him to see the hidden state of Rin. She came off as tough, tomboyish, sarcastic, and without a real care, but he knew better just by looking at her. The way she walked without really showing any real interest in friendship, though her eyes would reveal the longing for the slightest of seconds. Shirou could see that same scheme, only inverted. Now she was exposed, her eyes quickly screaming to be covered again, for the sake of her own feelings, "The man with the red eyes,"_

_Rin looked up to Shirou, shocked by the sudden sound of his level voice. She looked into his dark eyes and could still see the spark of the old Shirou once more, another assurance that she could save him. That was when her more focused self made her remember what Shirou just said, "Yeah, I saw him, what about him?"_

_Shirou waited to continue, hiding a smirk as he did. Her honest expression had disappeared into her calculated one, a look he missed when he was trying to plan out any sort of situation, "I'm looking for him. There's been some disturbances concerning the Church around here, I'm just here to stop him." He sat back and mentally frowned. It was no lie. Since he spotted Lucifer, his top priority was to find him. There was always a chance of his involvement if he appears, 'A half truth, that should be enough for now Rin. I'll need to talk with Gallium when he gets here.'_

_Rin examined Shirou carefully, trying to tell if he was lying. Unfortunately, he had managed to kick his old habits and has now become unreadable, "Alright, who exactly sent you on this 'mission'? Are you alone?"_

_Shirou smirked, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." It was a joke, but Rin's shocked expression showed she hadn't caught that, "I'm joking Rin. A friend is going to be coming in from New York to help."_

_Rin absorbed this information and nodded, "Good," She checked the clock, "Clair will be here in fifteen minutes and I still have to prepare a place for your friend to sleep." She grinned when Shirou jumped, his defenses shattered by complete and utter shock._

_"I beg your pardon?" Shirou watched Rin stand up and head towards her bedroom, glaring when she threw him a cheeky glance. _

_"You will be staying here so I can keep an eye on you. Your friend will do the same when he gets here so go pack your stuff." Rin closed her door before Shirou could protest, the young man running a hand through his white hair._

Tracer looked to Sean with a small smile, "It was interesting. Of course, now I have a female roommate." He finished the water and threw it away. He had tried to protest, even locking his door in defiance. However, he underestimated how 'persuasive' Tohsaka can be when she gets an idea into her head. After a few bombardments of magically demonized, a.k.a magically 'enhanced', stuffed animals, he was forced to comply. Of course by this time, his things had been reduced to near nothing by the sieges of plushies, but give in he did, 'Gallium's not going to be happy about this one.'

Burial Agency- Part of the Church that deals a lot with killing demons and vampires. More detailed explanation in other Type-Moon works.

The Church- Kind of like a religious organization most resemblant to the Catholic Church. Has a more dominant role in other Type-Moon works. Kotomine was part of this.

Flashbang- A stun grenade, Flashbang for short.

'_That talk did more than I thought at the time. I think it was after that conversation that I started falling for her, noticing small things that added up to something… more.'_

**A/N: Sorry this was later than the rest, I had to rewrite this chapter at least three times. Please read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

There's an Angel in My Living Room

**There's an Angel in My Living Room**

It's been three weeks since the chaos at the church. As the news stations speculated about the murdered Father, Shirou was sure to keep a low profile. Eventually, Saturday, the traditional day of the week that many simply catch up on their relaxation, had rolled around. The sun was high in the cloudless sky, its heat having little affect on the inches of snow that fell the night before. Through the cold air, enjoying the little warmth on his neck, a man trudged towards an apartment complex, a note in his hand. His dress was dark, wearing a dark brown coat over his grey sweater. He held a black bag over his shoulder, his hand holding the cords used to carry it. A silver chain hung from the pocket of his black trousers, his leather shoes crunching the sleet and snow on the sidewalk, "I hate winter," He adjusted his sunglasses and turned towards the complex entrance. However, his quiet weekend morning was startled when someone ran into him.

"Oh," It was a woman with tanned skin and warm eyes, "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking at where I was going." She looked to the man with a hint of concern, only to gawk at how handsome he was.

"Don't worry about it." He shrugged off her obvious staring and started towards the door. No sooner had he laid his hand on the door's handle, he froze, examining the situation closely, "Excuse me Miss," He turned to look at her, "do you happen to know if an… Emiya Shirou is currently living here?" Internally, he reprimanded himself, catching how much her eyes lit up, 'I have a feeling I shouldn't be talking to this lady.' In a flash, she was latched onto his arm, grinning like a hyper schoolgirl.

"Yeah, I know him. My name's Clair by the way, nice to meet you…" She looked to him, leaving the end open for his name.

"Gallium," He answered carefully, a gloved hand on his beanie-covered head. Gallium held back a snarl, seeing one of the random residents watching in curiosity, 'Trust your gut huh? I'm getting mine surgically removed after this!' He resisted a sigh of relief when she let go, finding himself in an elevator. He didn't get much time to relax, however, as Clair was leaning into him, chocolate eyes trying to examine his hidden orbs.

Clair grinned and snatched off Gallium's sunglasses, too shocked by his ice-blue eyes to notice his lack of reaction, "S-So," Clair broke eye contact and blushed, "how do you know Shirou? Are you from Japan too?"

Gallium smoothly took his sunglasses, "I'm a friend of his, a 'business associate' if you will. I just arrived from New York." He made sure to act as uninterested as possible.

Upon hearing about the large American city, Clair's eyes lit up once more, "Oh, I remember when I was there, it was so interesting. I've never seen so much culture in one place!"

Gallium rolled his eyes and remained silent, obviously she gets encouraged by responses of any kind, 'Just remain still, she can't see if you just don't move.' The ding of the elevator was like the songs of angels… wow, that seems a bit less effective with him, but it was welcomed none the less. He instantly exited the elevator and walked past the first apartment door, "Pleasure Miss Clair, now if you'll excuse me,"

"Um," Clair called after him, "he moved from that room." She pointed to the second door, the one Gallium was about to knock on. As he looked from her, to the door, then to the note he had, Clair just watched with a bit too much interest. When he finally looked to her for an answer, she simply pointed to Rin's apartment, "He moved in with an old friend from Japan."

Gallium gave her a blank stare, but his mind was already preparing choice words for his 'old friend'. He silently approached the door and knocked soundly, again ignoring Clair's lustful glances, 'Oh, I'll kill him if this woman is over here constantly.' After a minute, the door swung open, revealing a face Gallium recognized, but it was obviously not the case with the other person. He opened his mouth to introduce himself, but a certain fashion designer did it for him.

"Rinny," Clair jumped onto Gallium's back and placed her chin on his shoulder, "really juicy news. This guy," She poked him in his cheek, "is a 'business associate' of your newest boy-toy."

Rin looked to Gallium, "You, in," She glared at Clair, "you, out!" She separated the two and shoved Clair out into the hallway.

"Aww, but Rinny,"

"Uh, 'boy-toy'?"

"Don't. ask."

**xxx**

It didn't take long for Rin to call in Shirou from the kitchen. She told Gallium to sit down with a bit suspicion, but it soon calmed when Shirou seemed to show signs of knowing him, "So Shirou," She dramatically motioned towards Gallium, "who is this guy, is he helping you find the man with crimson eyes?"

Gallium shot a hard look to Shirou, 'You ran into Lucifer Tracer?' He telepathically spoke to his calm partner.

'Not so much ran into as much as he simply appeared.' Shirou answered Gallium and focused on Rin, "He's a friend, and yes, he is helping me."

Rin glanced between them and nodded, "Fine," She carefully looked to Gallium, "in case Shirou didn't tell you, you'll both be staying here."

Gallium gave her a defiant look and turned to Shirou, "So when did you go and get married? Please tell me you have reason for giving in to this dictator."

Shirou looked to Rin and sighed heavily. Motioning for Gallium to follow, Shirou stood up and started for the door. Both men walked down to his former apartment, a grinning Rin following out of sheer amusement. Shirou stared at the door, his forehead sweating a little, but his composure was still solid, "Open the door," He offered the key to the calm angel.

Gallium took the key and opened the door, ignoring Shirou as he ran behind the smug Tohsaka, "Swear, I leave you alone with an attractive woman and you're putty in her hands." He walked into the dark room and scratched his head in confusion. However, when he felt something impact his shin, he looked down at the very reason Shirou had to evacuate his apartment. He carefully examined the pink stuffed bunny that hugged his leg, its large eyes looking up at him cutely, 'A bit creepy, but nothing worth crying over.'

"I wuv you bunches."

CREEK… click

Gallium spun around, the room going black as the door closed behind him. He didn't need to voice his need for light as the light-switch was clicked on, a tower of other cute stuffed animals now focusing their gaze on him, "As cute as this is, I'm really not seeing a reason to leave." He shook his leg, trying to pry the bunny off. However, when he felt sharp claws dig into his pant-leg, his eyes widened, "Oh," He looked up to see the hordes of ferocious stuffed animals flying towards him, "HOLY MOTHER OF…"

**xxx**

"Three, two, one." Rin pointed to the door just as it opened, "Told you Emiya," She held her hand in front of him, "now fork over that cash, he only lasted half a minute."

Shirou rolled his eyes and slapped a wad of cash into Rin's hand. He took a long sip of his tea and looked to Gallium, "Now do you see why I ditched?" He glared at Rin, "This little demon has a cruel way of persuading you."

Gallium didn't respond, instead walking over to Shirou. His coat was in shambles; his legs had cuts and bruises on them, the silver chain hanging limply at his hip. His face was once clean of any markings, cut now he sported a few shallow cuts and a black eye. His beanie was lost in the epic battle, revealing his disheveled white hair, a broken talon from a bird plushy stuck in the strands of snow. Stopping beside Shirou, Gallium removed a familiar pink lump, holding it to Shirou's face. Soon, the lump came to life, its paws sporting three sharp claws each. Gallium released the murderous bunny and allowed it to go to work on Shirou's face.

"WHAT THE," Shirou was thrown to the floor, trying to pry the little demon off of his face.

While Shirou fought and wrestled the stuffed animal, Gallium faced Rin with his usual blank face, "So where do I sleep?"

Rin smiled sweetly, "I knew you'd see it my way." She pointed to the couch, "Sorry, but you'll have to deal with the couch, that is unless you'll share a bed with Shirou."

"The couch will do," Gallium stepped over Shirou as he rolled across the floor, "Shirou, stop playing and get to the table, we have much to discuss."

Shirou glared at the emotionless angel and ripped the demonic stuffed toy from his face, "If you were real, I'd skin you, cook you, and enjoy every bite as I eat you." He stood up and went to the microwave, "I guess one out of three will do."

"You will burn for this you infidel!" The toy yelled as it was stuffed into the microwave.

A few minutes, and an overcooked stuffed bunny later, all three roommates were around the table once more. To start, Shirou placed the shattered pieces of the amulet on the table, "I didn't catch the people responsible, but I did manage to break what they were after. It's a fake, but at least it's something."

Gallium reached into his coat pocket and placed an identical amulet on the table, "It seems they were in New York too. I managed to run them out, but there's no doubt that they're based in London."

Rin looked at the amulets closely, recognizing the inscriptions as ancient Hebrew. Unfortunately, she was not fluent in such a language, but the vibes she was getting were everything but good. As Shirou and Gallium considered the information, she examined the amulet even closer. At its center was the last letter of the Greek alphabet, Omega, "You said you saw them in the church Shirou?"

"Yeah, guys dressed in blue uniforms. They were named after some of the Apostles from the Bible, perhaps a clue to what their goal is." Shirou watched Rin as she deduced and thought, confident that she could find the answer if given enough info.

Gallium stood up and started pacing, "There's a strong possibility that we're dealing with the Church here."

"You're right," Rin agreed, "but it's more specifically a radical sect of the Church." She already knew about the guys' taken back stares, "You see, I've been looking into it for the Association. It seems some magi are helping these guys, the Disciples, produce some sort of summoning item."

Gallium sat back down and sighed, "I see, so it's fate that brought us together." He was staring up at the ceiling, as if caught in a trance, "Any idea what, or who, they're trying to summon?"

Rin ran her fingers over the Greek letter, "I suspect this symbol has something to do with it, but I don't recognize its significance with any being I know of."

Upon hearing this, Gallium snatched the amulet, examining the symbol with much recognition, "There's no way." His face slowly turned into one of complete rage, gripping the fake amulet tightly, "Those fools!" He slammed his fist into the table, shattering the amulet, "Omega, that's what they're after."

"Omega?" Rin tilted her head in confusion, "All I know is that it's the final letter of the Greek alphabet. It was usually used to refer to God's immortality and power, calling him the 'Alpha and Omega'."

Gallium didn't respond to her, instead snatching Shirou up by his collar and dragging him into the kitchen. Rin didn't hesitate to follow, watching as the two male simply stood there, not speaking a word. She knew they were communicating somehow, seeing their facial expressions change every so often. Anger, fear, shock, frustration, a full range of negative expressions spelled a not good situation all together, "You realize what that means Shirou?"

Shirou nodded slowly, "We have to strike them before they can finish. However," He met Gallium's cold gaze, "we don't know where they are."

"That's not necessarily true." Rin walked into the kitchen innocently and picked up a freshly cleaned glass, "I've been after these guys for awhile," She looked to the stoic men and winked, "I've just been waiting for a good time to strike." She went to her fridge and pulled out a tall carton of milk. Pouring herself a glass, she downed the white liquid happily, "Now I suggest we get some sleep, I'm tired."

As Gallium and Shirou watched her leave, Gallium spoke to his partner telepathically, 'Shirou, are you feeling what I'm feeling?'

'If you're feeling like something bad is going to happen then yes, I'm feeling it too.' Shirou stretched and started for his bedroom, "See you in the morning Gallium, we have a big day tomorrow."

Unknown to them, a certain Rin Tohsaka was far from being tired. No, she had a suspicion so grand; she did the first thing that came to mind. Some would simply sit and deduce for themselves, others cracking open an encyclopedia or dictionary, but Rin was not these people. No, she did the first, smartest thing she could think of. Rin Tohsaka, gifted magus and participant of the 5th Grail War… googled it, 'Gallium, Gallium, I've heard that somewhere before.' She scrolled down the visible website on her laptop, her teal eyes sharply on the lookout for anything. At first, she only saw gibberish, nothing worth wasting her time. However, through the psycho babble, she saw wikipedia link, the other gift of the god known as the internet.

She opened the webpage and frowned at the little nit of information. However, it was all she needed to piece together all that she suspected. On the page, she saw the full name of, what she deeply suspected, the very man sleeping in her living room.

_Gallium Tenbatsu:_

_An angel believed to be some sort of leader for other angels. Based on the meaning of his name, he, like many other angels, represent an aspect of God. While Metatron, another existing angel, is the 'Voice of God', Gallium is believed to be the 'Wrath of God'._

"I don't believe it," Rin muttered, "I think there's an angel sleeping in my living room!" She glanced to her closed door in shock, that is until she came to another conclusion, "But if he knows Shirou, then does that mean he's an angel too? No, that's crazy, perhaps he's helping the angels complete missions." Rin closed her laptop and glared in the general direction of Shirou's room, 'I'll get answers Emiya, rest assured, I will crack our secrets.'

_"To be honest, I was deeply surprised by her conclusions. To this day, I'll easily admit that Rin is one of the sharpest people alive. She even managed to outsmart a multi-thousand year old celestial warrior. Of course, I still curse my stupidity for not following Gallium's lead. He was right, I should never have involved Rin."_

_NOTE:__ Gallium doesn't really have a wiki page, he's a completely original character. You can try, but you'll probably look stupid while doing it._

_(Had to edit this, I accidentally uploaded the unedited version, my apologies for the mistake)_

**A/N: Wow, that part with the stuffed animals made me grin it was so fun to write. Anyway, not much to say other than to please read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Silver Cross**

It was still, a dead silence plaguing the Cathedral that stood amidst the quiet buildings. Its grounds were frozen over by the winter cold, frost lightly coating anything that was not covered with snow. It had taken two weeks to find this place, three days of intense recon to get familiar with back-streets, the guard rounds of their targets, and so on.

It was a fairly impressive piece of architecture to be honest. Like other fine religious buildings, it was centuries old, having a traditional Gothic design, the large church surrounded by green grass. On the outside property, there was a pattern of a triangle, cement forming the lines and circles at each corner. At its center was a statue of an angel, a large scroll held in his hand.

"So we clear on the plan?" Shirou stuffed his bare hands into his coat pockets, pulling out his leather gloves. He looked over to Rin and then down to the bag she was carrying, "You sure you want to do this, Gallium and I will be fine on our own."

Rin smirked proudly and flipped her charcoal hair, "After all these years Shirou," She leaned in, "Have you forgotten that I'm the best Magus to ever live?" She laughed when Shirou rolled his eyes. Rin's laughing subsided, noticing that Gallium was strangely silent... well more silent than usual, "What's your problem?" She watched him glare at the statue of the angel, "I kind of figured you lack creative appreciation, but hating a statue is a bit much don't you think?"

Gallium grunted, "I hate religious art." He dramatically pointed to himself, "I've rarely seen a blonde angel with blue eyes, my wings aren't soft and sissy looking, and more importantly," He gestured to the statue's white robes, "I've NEVER worn a tunic in my entire LIFE!"

Rin stared at Gallium, completely taken back by his outburst. However, she heard Shirou chuckling to himself, ignoring the not too happy glares of Gallium, "Whatever, let's just get this done." Rin placed the bag down and unzipped it, revealing an assortment of gems and her most treasured item, Heaven's Feel.

"Hold on," Gallium motioned for Rin to freeze, looking into the distance. After a few moments of silence, Gallium released the breath he was holding, "Rin, you'll be back up this round. I have a feeling we'll some sort of surprise if we're going to get anywhere tonight." Before Rin could utter a protest, Gallium and Tracer were gone, dashing towards the church. Rin watched them go in slight astonishment, still not used to seeing the once incompetent Shirou performing so skillfully.

Shirou waited until they reached the front court before asking Gallium about the sudden change in the plan, "So what did you sense?" He paused when Gallium glanced at him, as if telling him to sense for himself. As soon as Shirou opened his senses, he could tell what had prompted Gallium's caution, "Do you think they're here to stop us?" Gallium didn't answer as they approached the front door, opening the large dark wood door without a second thought.

xxxx

"Father Jacob," The Apostle John started, "the amulet you wanted has arrived." He took off his glasses and cleaned them, slightly glancing to the window before replacing them.

Andrew picked up on his movement and took a seat on the nearest pew, lounging as always, "So Father, when will we get this under way? I'm beginning to doubt this whole thing is true." He looked towards the rather large man examining the amulet, admiring his posture.

Father Jacob rubbed his chin and continued to examine the amulet, checking for anything that might point to it being fake, "This is truly a work of pure art," Slowly, a smile worked its way on his stone-like face, "a gift from God, no doubt about it." He chuckled and pocketed the amulet, "Don't doubt Apostles, this amulet is truly the key to our life-long dream."

Andrew visually relaxed upon hearing this, one hand running along the dogtags that hung from his neck, "That's good, but when do we actually do it?" He looked over to John, seeing his fellow Apostle flash four fingers before turning to the side door. The room was silent as John walked over to Father Jacob, whispering something in his ear before passing the altar and leaving.

Father Jacob clapped his hands and grinned down at Andrew, "Come my brother, let us talk along the way." He motioned for him to follow as his other hand held the amulet in his pocket, "You see dear boy, we must first go to the tablet, a part of the Dead Sea Scrolls..." His voice faded out as he turned off the lights, exiting the chapel and going into the back. Just as the door closed, the main doors were opened, Gallium and Shirou entering the now eerie chapel.

It was completely silent as they walked deeper into the darkened room, moonlight spilling in through the windows to their sides and above. A single beam of moonlight illuminated the altar at the from, the statue of the Virgin Mary standing just beyond it. To her sides, angelic statues stood, a sight that made Gallium's eye twitch.

Both jumped to attention when the sound of a phone ringing echoed throughout the room. Shirou looked at the outside screen of his phone, seeing Rin's name displayed, "What's wrong?" He immediately barked into the receiver. There was a pause before he swore loudly, "They escaped out the back, Rin's chasing them right now!"

"Perfect," Gallium cracked his neck, "you go on and help her, I'll deal with our gracious hosts." He calmly placed his gloved hands in his coat pockets.

Shirou nodded and started for the side door, going into a run when he was halfway there. He swiftly burst out the door, the sound of it clicking shut echoing as shadows surrounded Gallium. The calm angel looked around at the crowd of Father Jacob's henchmen, each of them wearing similar blue suits like the Apostles, "So one against twenty?" Gallium scratched his head and sighed, "That's hardly fair."

"Then let me even the odds a little bit."

xxx

Rin jumped to yet another rooftop, tailing the escaping Cadillac CTS, noticing that every light it came close to turned green at the exact right time, 'Whatever they're using, I want one.' She looked further up the lit streets, seeing the car nearing a highway, 'If it goes onto the highway, I won't be able to follow!' Rin bit back a curse as she tried to think of what she could do. Unfortunately, Heaven's Feel didn't come with wings, and increased speed does little compared to a car going eighty miles an hour.

"Leave them to us, you focus on staying alive!" Rin's head snapped upwards, seeing two figures with wings shoot forward. She stopped and looked as one of them stopped to look back at her. It was a young woman with short, cherry blonde hair and striking violet eyes. She mouthed something and pointed down.

Rin followed her finger and saw something glisten in the distance. Instinctively, she ducked behind a storage shed that stood beside her. As soon as she was behind it, a bullet whizzed by, completely blowing off the corner of the shed, 'That was no normal bullet.' Rin ducked down and rolled to her right again, another bullet shooting through the shed. Cursing to herself, Rin formed a shield around herself, yet another shot aimed for her. The bullet struck the shield and shattered, but Rin could clearly feel the sheer force of the round itself, 'A fifty caliber round!? No wonder it stung so much!'

Half a mile down, a man was laying flat on his stomach, a sniper rifle in position against his body. He heard the communicator on his ear hum to life, the voice of John calmly floating into his ear, "Keep an pursuers off of us until we're at a safe distance. Your extraction point is Black Cauldron rooftop. Be careful Matthew, these people aren't normal."

Matthew grunted before responding, "Just some kids from the Magic Association, nothing I can't handle." His sharp vision caught movement a mile away, another person running to join his current target, "I have incoming, I'll contact you if any problems arise." He cut the line and aimed for the approaching person. Through his scope, he could see a head of white hair, the man's dress matching the dark surroundings.

With Rin, she was busy wondering why her attacker wasn't firing. She risked a glance back just in time to see Shirou land on the roof just behind her. It took her a second to realize what was going on, but it soon clicked when Shirou made the move to make the last jump, "Shirou no!"

BANG

xxx

Gallium looked to the front doors without a hint of shock, instead smirking, "You're late," He watched as the new appearance made his way beside him, facing the other half of the Disciples encircling them, "Lucifer."

The Prince of Demons grinned and flexed his claw-hand. However, instead of the usual clawed gauntlet, it was simply a gloved hand with a red palm, "You're slipping Gallium, how could you let a bunch of humans surround you do easily?" He melted into a stance and waited, smirking when Gallium did the same. The two angels readjusted their positions until they were back-to-back, never flinching as the crowd of Disciples pounced.

Gallium simply deflected the first wave of attacks, reversing knife strikes into the other Disciple trying to get him from behind. When he was unable to redirect them, he weaved past the strikes and drove the palm of his hand to their nose. In seconds, it was a dogpile of bodies, but the attackers were flying every which way. Lucifer and Gallium circled, fending off the Disciples with fair ease.

"Good," Lucifer dove his knee into one Disciple's stomach and clawed at his face with his gloved hand, "it seems you aren't going easy on these peons."

Gallium slammed his current enemy's head into the nearest pew and threw him towards the altar in the front, "This is nothing compared to fighting your pathetic excuses for demons." He weaved past a series of knife strikes and kicked the feet out from under his next target, driving his elbow into the face of another.

As the fighting continued, both angels noticed the crowd thinning. Before long, their eyes shifted to the front of the chapel, noticing the Disciples lined up. Each was bleeding somewhere, but the fact that they were simply staring at the two beings was a bit disturbing, "What's wrong boys?" Lucifer grinned ominously, flexing his claw hand threateningly, "Afraid to get round two started?" His grin immediately left his face when each Disciple reached into their coats, pulling out pistols. The sound of cocking guns made the color fade from both of their faces.

"Nice going," Gallium glared at Lucifer, "way to make a situation worse."

Lucifer returned the look with equal venom, "I don't see you coming up with any ideas you tunic wearin' punk!" Both of them continued to glare at each other, but leaped in the opposite direction when the pistols were fired. The wooden pews exploded as the bullets bit into them, the Disciples keeping up a barrage of bullets as Gallium and Lucifer ran in and out of them, making their way closer to the bunched up henchmen. Eventually, both angels were in perfect position for a pincer attack, charging with bodies enveloped by orange light. The double tackle took out half of the shocked henchmen, leaving the rest open for attack. The Dark Prince himself wasted no time in driving his crimson palm into the ground, yelling out as vines of red electricity snaked through the wooden floor. The attack reached the remnants of the Disciples, electrocuting them without mercy.

Gallium ran a hand down his face as Lucifer cackled psychotically, "The Council isn't going to like this one." He groaned and took out his cellphone, dialing quickly. When he was finished, he brought it to his ear and waited for the person to pick up, "I'm surprised I get service here."

Lucifer stopped cackling long enough to check his phone, only to see that he had no bars, "Ah crap, why does our phone service suck so freakin' bad!?" He growled and looked to Gallium, "Who do you use, I know it's not because we're in a church. I texted Satan just yesterday in the middle of a church without any problem."

Gallium shrugged, "Verizon my friend, it's the phone company for rich folks, but you get service everywhere."

"I'll remember that," Lucifer pocketed his phone and carelessly kicked the unconscious form of a random Disciple, lounging on what was left of the front-most pew.

"Sean," Gallium spoke into the phone, "report your status, has the car stopped yet?" He waited for Sean to do as he asked before responding, "Alright, send up a flare, I have Lucifer here with me so we'll meet you guys there. By the way," Gallium rubbed the bridge of his nose, "is Rin and Tracer there with you?" His closed eyes snapped open when Sean answered his question, "For the love of," The ethereal general took a calming breath, "alright, we'll pick them up along the way, keep the target in your sights."

Lucifer chuckled, "So what's the deal Gallium," He gave his archenemy a mocking smirk, "gotta go save your little pet and his mate first?"

"Unfortunately,"

"So they do it yet?"

"As far as I know, no they haven't, but it's only a matter of time."

"Man Gallium, you just ain't right about these things."

**xxx**

Matthew kept his face stoic as he watched his bullet pierce through Shirou's chest, the shocked man dropping from the air and into the dark alleys below. He moved his scope to look at Rin, watching as she hopped down after him, 'Not exactly a kill, but it'll keep them busy.' Matthew stood up and disassembled his sniper rifle, robotically putting the pieces away in the suitcase sitting beside him. He withdrew a pistol from his coat and loaded it, placing it back in his coat as he made his way down the building he was on, "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." He withdrew a cigarette from his coat pocket and pressed it to a symbol written on the outside of the same pocket. Instantly, the cig was lit aflame, the sniper taking a long drag before letting the smoke spill out into the cold night.

As Matthew began to distance himself from his targets, Rin was busy searching the dark alley for Shirou. She was scared, there was no denying that. She felt her hands shake as she looked through the darkness for his white hair, cursing him for wearing dark clothes. Her teal eyes rested on a pile of messed up trash cans, seeing what looked like legs and blood. Rin's feet automatically rushed over to the cans, but her mind was hesitant to register what she might see.

"This is troublesome." Rin froze when the legs moved, the body they were connected to getting up. Shirou growled as he fingered the hole in his shoulder, cursing as blood continued to drip from the injury. Resigning himself to it, he sat back down against the side of the building, "Didn't move quick enough."

Rin stared with a mixture of emotions, her brain running a mile a minute. Part of her was glad to see him moving, glad to see his the smirk she was growing used to seeing on him. However, the rational part of her, the part of her that was still that little girl wanting to keep everyone at an emotional distance, was spooked, "You shouldn't be alive." Her mind cursed her mouth for allowing the rational side to speak first, "That was a thirty-story fall, how could you survive that kind of drop?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it still seemed to hold her own personal tone.

Shirou chuckled again and placed his hand over the hole, "Thanks Rin, I'm doing fine thank you."

The feelings came again. She smiled at his sarcasm, but her words betrayed her expression, "That was a fifty caliber round, your arm should be _gone_!" She was yelling now, still staring down at him. She felt warmth slipping down her face, still in shock at what she jst saw, at what she had just experienced, at what she _is_ seeing and experiencing.

Shirou was about to respond when he felt a familiar presence, two familiar presences. He looked up to see Gallium standing over him, shooting the person behind him a hateful glare, "Sorry Gallium, they got away."

Gallium stared down at Shirou, "No, Sean and Amber tracked the car, but what happened to you?"

"I got hit by a sniper, seems he was giving the car time to escape by pinning us down." He continued to heal the wound, feeling Gallium's stare, feeling his confusion.

Gallium knelt down and looked at Shirou straight in the face, "Then why haven't you removed this guy from the scenario?" The angel caught Shirou's glance at Rin, who was watching, obviously still in shock, "Tracer," Shriou looked at Gallium, shocked by the commanding tone, "you know how to deal with this. Stop playing around and take that guy out." Gallium stood up and put his hands in his coat pockets once more, never losing his calm exterior, "I told you during our first official assignment, I have no use for Shirou Emiya. He was a weak human who was unable to protect those he loved." He glanced back at Shirou, "My partner is Tracer, a human who gave up his humanity for power, a Hero of Justice, a true Hero of Justice."

Rin slowly looked to Tracer, seeing his eyes darken, dots of amber shining through his coal colored eyes. She immediately felt a dense increase in the mana surrounding him, the wound healed and forgotten. She didn't stifle the gasp that rang out when a lone, flame colored wing appeared out of Shirou's back, floating just behind his shoulder-blades, 'W-What is this,' Rin felt her throat close up at the shocking sight, 'he looks... he looks like a Epic Spirit.'

Tracer locked eyes with Gallium, his gaze intense and focused, "I'll see if I can track him down." He turned towards the street, turning back to Gallium before starting off, "Do you think we'll need him for questioning?"

Rin looked to Gallium, not too surprised at his ever expressionless face. The angel seemed to take the time to think it over, his even voice responding with a curt, "We'd have no use for him. If he gives you trouble, kill him."

Lucifer chuckled when Shirou took off after Matthew, "Rule 39, Article 4, paragraph 6 and I quote, 'In the presence of any magic user, angels are cleared to exact excessive force if said magic user is a clear danger to the general population.' Hah, my favorite one." He smoothly took out a cigarette and lit it, letting it hang between his grinning lips. His crimson eyes slowly made their way to Rin, seeing her frozen to the spot, "What's wrong," Her teal eyes met his, "wanna see the action?"

Rin breathed in a sharp breath of cool air, shocked by the psychotic tone of Lucifer's, "Not a bad idea," She looked to the calm angel yet again, "I think it's about time she got an eyeful of what she's gotten herself into." Gallium's ice colored eyes continued to stare at Rin, a ghost of a scowl on his face.

**xxxx**

Matthew threw down the cigarette in his mouth when it had become too short, stamping out the lit end. Calmly, he continued to the Black Cauldron, keeping a brisk pace as he neared the fairly busy pub. He stifled a frown when he saw the place was busy tonight, a mass of cars parked around the solitary building. As he neared the alley next to it, he sharply turned, heading for the stairs that had a blinking neon sign above them. He descended down the stairs, tapping on the steel door. As he waited for the person on the other side to respond, he looked around quickly.

"Who is it?" A tired voice slurred as the slot opened, a pair of blue eyes looking straight at Matthew, "Oh," The tone lightened, "didn't expect to see you here." The man on the other side of the door closed the slot and unlocked the door. The steel door opened with an echoing creek, allowing Matthew to step into the building swiftly. However, neither men saw the coal eyes watching from above, "So what's with the surprise visit, is it official business?"

Matthew remained silent, letting the absolute lack of sound sharpen his senses. His shoulders relaxed after a few moments, "You could say that." He took out another cig and lit it, feeling his nerves become exhausted from being constantly on edge. His mind replayed the scene of Shirou dropping, his adrenalin waning to allow his mind to register what he'd seen. He had seen the bullet head for the man's head, but then he saw a strange orange shape and he, 'He moved,' Matthew slowly started for the stairs that rested in the dim room, 'he moved at the last second, that had to be the most... man that rivals that Shiki kid's weirdness level.'

"Yo Matthew, are you alright? Maybe you should go to the bar for a cup of tea before leaving." The man who let Matthew in placed a hand on his shoulder, "What's got you so freaked? Blood hell it's got to be one wicked assignment if it's got you like this."

Matthew closed his eyes, shielding them from the blinking lights that barely dented the darkness of the room. He opened his mouth to respond to the confused man, but his eyes shot open, "Bloody Ch-," He was interrupted by the sound of banging, the steel door now sporting a large dent. Matthew withdrew the pistol in his coat and pointed it at the door, firing as he sprinted for the stairs.

"What the-," The shocked man jumped back when the door flew off the hinges, a lone figure with white hair standing in front of it with his hands in his pockets, "Who the hell are you?"

Tracer smirked, "I'm here for a Matthew," He took a step inside, "seen him?" He leaned to the right, dodging pistol fire from the stairs, "Thank you," He calmly made his way for the stairs, dodging Matthew's shots as he grew closer.

The Apostle member was spooked, tripping as he made his way up the stairs, 'How the hell does a guy get up from a fifty caliber round? His arm shouldn't even be there!' He turned and fired three more bullets, growling when Tracer side-stepped them. Matthew jumped onto the black railing of the stairs and jumped to the floor above, putting distance between him and his pursuer.

Tracer watched him go and continued to smirk to himself, "Looks like we have a runner." He crouched down and jumped, tracing a katana as he landed just behind Matthew. He calmly stared down the shocked Apostle, "You know," He took a step closer to his prey, "running only makes me want to kill you guys more."

Matthew felt a cold chill run dow his spine upon meeting Tracer's eyes. It was like looking at two coals, lit aflame by an intense fire, "Who are you, you can't be human." Matthew kept his pistol raised, ready to put a bullet in Tracer's head. He noticed his surroundings grow a bit darker, the lights flickering more frequently. The inside of the Black Cauldron's back area was already grundgy looking, but the added darkness made it look like a page right out of Hell.

"Not human," Tracer tested the words out, his face stoic, his voice barely above a mutter, "you might be right by that." He adjusted the leather gloves over his hands and looked up in nastalgia, "It's funny really. When I was younger, I would've given everything to be strong enough to protect this world, to be a Hero of Justice." Deep inside, Tracer didn't know why he was telling Matthew this, but his mouth just kept going, "Then I met the true protecters of this world and," He sighed and shook his head slowly, "they beat the reality of this world into me. You see," Tracer took another step towards Matthew, "I've seen quite a few things that I probably shouldn't have. I've seen children die of starvation," Another step, "I've seen women raped and murdered in cold blood," Another step, "I've seen families die in fires and in car accidents," Yet another step, "I've seen people burned alive, decapitated, split clean in half, and blown to pieces." By now, Tracer was face-to-face with Matthew, staring down into his brown eyes with his lit coals, "You know what that did to me?"

Matthew spun his pistol and smirked, as if accepting death, "It taught you justice, the justice of this world. Men create laws, calling it 'justice' to deal out punishment for the breaking of those laws." His eyes went to the case he was still holding, the very case that held his beloved sniper rifle, "As a sniper, you see people die up close, you see your bullet take lives and ruin them." Matthew spun around and hit Tracer with his pistol, running towards a dark room.

Tracer looked after Matthew, shrugging off the solid attack, "The world has its own justice, its own rules." He started after his prey.

The fleeing Apostle growled when he didn't see a way out of the room. It had no windows, and only a single light on the ceiling that flickered like the rest, "So what did the Magic Association tell you to do with me?" Matthew reloaded his gun and glanced over his shoulder, seeing Tracer leaning against the doorframe. He felt yet another chill when he saw a ghost of a smirk on Tracer's face, "You are the Association... aren't you?"

Tracer slowly shook his head and tightened his gloves yet again, "Like I told your buddy a few nights ago," He threw away the katana and used the material to trace another sword, "I'm simply here for bit of, Divine Intervention." It was a grotesque looking blade, possessing a crooked shape and jagged edges. The normally silver metal of any sword was instead a dark brown, almost pitch black.

Matthew watched Tracer begin his approach, piecing together his words. Then, like the bullets he so often fired out of his rifle, it hit him, "Y-You can't be,"

"I'm not,"

"Then what?"

"I'm simply a trained killer, but I guess you could call me an angel by sheer definition."

**xxxx**

Rin followed Gallium and Lucifer towards the Black Cauldron, remembering it as a popular bar to those associated with the Magic Association. Some great magi often went there to forget their loneliness and sorrows, finding the company refreshing and welcome. However, this night, she felt something was off. Her eyes went to the front door, seeing the normal crowd acting like anyone would. However, an ominous air hung over the alley to its right side. Rin steeled herself when she noticed Lucifer and Gallium head straight for the alley, as if led by an obvious trail to Shirou, 'What was that?' Rin asked herself as she followed, calmly keeping pace as they approached the stairs leading down to a doorway.

Rin looked curiously at the doorframe, looking into the room to see the steel door thrown off with two, deep dents in it, "What happened here?" She looked to the right, seeing a man sitting against the wall, apparently passed out. Rin could smell a hint of alcohol and blood, figuring a head injury, coupled with one too many drinks knocked the man out cold. She received no answer to her question, the two angels simply ascending the stairs and ignoring the unconscious man. Rin followed, figuring it was useless to ask anymore questions to the two. The trio silently climbed the stairs, only the buzzing of flickering lights snuffing out the stale quiet. However, a series of gunshots shattered the silence, Rin automatically breaking into run. She ignored the fact that her two companions seemed way too calm, considering the possibility that Shirou was shot and killed.

"Gallium, I'm surprised at you," Lucifer grinned a twisted grin and looked at his temporary ally, "you really should've warned her about how Tracer gets."

Gallium simply continued to climb the stairs calmly, "No matter how this encounter ends," He looked at Rin as she rounded the corner, "it will benefit the success of this assignment." He heard Lucifer hum his agreement and continued up, making sure to give Rin time alone with the alter-ego of her old friend.

Rin ran through the hallway and came to a stop, her eyes staring wide at what she was seeing. Among the grungy rooms and environment as a whole, a single room stood out. It was a room whose lights were flickering at a much higher rate and intensity. Rin carefully looked inside the room, seeing the back of Shirou, a wicked sword held in his relaxed hands, "Shirou?" Rin stepped into the room, freezing at the blood that painted the far wall, lump of flesh resting at Shirou's feet, "Shirou," She felt her breath leave her lungs, "tell me you didn't do this." She felt her legs grow weaker by the second, her stomach turning at the strong smell of blood, the lingering killer intent that hung like a plague.

"Lying won't solve anything Rin." Tracer approached the corpse of Matthew and took the suitcase that held the pieces of the sniper rifle. He opened the case, his eyes widening for a second, "Hm, I don't recognize the gun itself," He took a magazine and emptied out a bullet, "but this is definitely a fifty caliber round." He looked closely at the bullet's head, seeing a strange symbol engraved into it, "Rin," He noted her small jump at his calling her, "do you recognize this symbol?"

Rin carefully took the bullet and inspected the symbol, her mind going through the mountains of books and research, "It's enhancement magic, not too different from what you use, but it's definitely not as complex. Since it's on the bullet, I'd guess there is another symbol inside the gun, it would cause a reaction that would increase velocity and accuracy." Rin pocketed the bullet and eyed the suitcase, "I guess this proves that somebody from the Association is helping these guys."

It was silent between them for a few moments, one thinking of the situation, the other thinking of the man she now doubted she truly knew. After a few minutes of silence, Tracer stood up, "Where's Gallium and Lucifer?" He saw Rin shrug, his eyes slowly moving upwards out of instinct, "Come on, let's head back to the apartment, they'll be fine." With that, they started out, Rin walking just a bit farther from Tracer than she usually does.

On the roof, two angels looked down at a strange symbol drawn with white chalk. When they both took a step towards it, the symbol began to glow with an eerie light, "This symbol is one for teleportation," Gallium closely inspected it with slight astonishment, "it's perfectly written, no doubt someone who is familiar with magic did this."

Lucifer yawned dramatically, "I'm not caring too much, just let me go through, claw a few faces off and then go about my business." He scratched his head in slight boredom, "I still haven't told Anko that I left so the sooner I get back the less she'll nag me."

"Hold on," Gallium stopped Lucifer when he took a step towards the symbol, "I have a better idea." He reached into his coat pocket and removed a cute little stuffed bear.

Lucifer looked at the stuffed toy in confusion, noting that its arms and legs were tied and its mouth taped shut. He simply watched as Gallium untied the pink toy and untaped it mouth, sure to hold it by the back of its neck. The prince of demons nearly jumped out of his skin when the stuffed animal came to life, horrid cursings streaming from its mouth as it thrashed around with clawed paws, "What is that thing?"

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

"I HATE YOU BUNCHES! NOW DIE SWINE!"

"One of the reasons I'm stuck with the girl." He threw the stuffed animal onto the symbol and smirked when it was teleported, "Now we just do this," He erased a line with his foot, destroying the magical link, "and we simply cackle at the images of those fools being mauled by a stuffed animal."

Lucifer followed Gallium, laughing his head off at the very idea, "Man, and I thought _I_ was demented!"

**A/N: Deeply, deeply sorry for the delayed update, it took awhile to make this chapter as dark as I needed it to be. I've recently started watching the Kara no Kyoukai movies from Type-Moon and that's really helped me envision some of these scenes. Also, I've seen Batman the Dark Knight and it was AMAZINGLY psychotic, something that I can use with Lucifer. Anyway, I encourage all of you to see Kara no Kyoukai (there are 3 available movies so far on streaming sites) and see Dark Knight, both are amazing and memorable. Please read and review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Heart of a Lost Child**

A certain angel yawned as he stared at the microwave, watching as the popcorn finished its last seconds of cooking. He adjusted himself as he sat in one of the kitchen's chairs, feeling the drowsiness that came with what happened earlier tonight. Everyone had agreed to allow a period to recover and plan, a lesson the General had learned many years ago. His ears perked when the microwave dinged, proclaiming that his cooked kernels were done. He stood and went into the living room, feeling the white carpet against his bare feet, "Let's see," He lightly muttered, "I'd say about... here." He made an 'x' with his foot and looked towards the nearby couch. Timing himself perfectly, he re-entered the kitchen, just avoiding Rin as she tip-toed into the living room and towards Shirou's room.

"What's he doing up?" Rin looked towards the kitchen with slight suspicion, but continued anyway. Her mind was a storm of emotion as she continued towards Shirou's room. She knew he was still awake, she could just feel it. She stepped as quietly as she could and towards Shirou's door, lightly knocking the door, "Shirou," Rin listened for a response, hearing a muffled permission to enter. She quietly opened the door and stepped in, immediately feeling the frigid environment. Her eyes were instantly focused on the man sitting in the chair at the dim room's center.

His posture was... different for him. His legs were evenly parted, feet flat on the floor. He had discarded the bloodstained clothes and replaced them with fresh clothes. He still wore his black sweater with black trousers, his coat resting on his bed, "I wasn't expecting you to come so soon." He held a bit of sarcasm, a smirk forming on his face.

It hit her then. Ever since she'd seen him again, she has been fighting to decipher who she was talking to, interacting with every time she saw him. When they had first reunited in Japan, she had met his fake self, that much she knew. In London, when he had shown up at the same apartment complex, she met a mask that resembled his old self. Once again, she was speaking to a fake, only getting a glimpse at his true self on the cold streets. Now, on this cold night, she had seen his true self, the true person he had become. Now, she could tell that it was really... Tracer, she was talking to. His whole aura screamed... supernatural, "I," Rin kicked herself when she hesitated, "I just wanted to talk. It's not everyday that you see the stuff that happened tonight neh?" She laughed weakly at her own attempt at humor.

Shirou simply chuckled and returned to looking out the large window and into the night, "Dodging the issue doesn't suit you Rin." He placed his elbow on the arm of the chair and leaned his head into his palm, "You seem so much more confident when you're blunt." He glanced towards the bed, registering Rin's surprise at his behavior, "Have a seat, I think this'll take awhile."

Rin quietly sat down on the bed, staring at Shirou as he turned the chair so he was looking straight back at her. Their gazes locked, ushering in a period of silent exploration. Rin could feel it, this was Shirou, this was his true self. She had suspected that Shirou suffered from a very complex, and rather harmless, mental condition. His childhood self had been erased upon the fires that engulfed Fuyuki, locked away by the child that looked up to the man who had saved him. This man, this Tracer was that boy that lost his parents, he was the boy once buried by Emiya Shirou. He has no name, for it was forever lost, no he is only known as Tracer now.

Outside of the room, Gallium poured his popcorn into a plastic bowl, "Hey," He walked over to the table, "wake up bum." He kicked one of the chairs, the person sleeping on it snapping awake before he hit the ground, "We're late, they already started."

Lucifer grumbled and followed Gallium into the living room. Without a word, the two angels moved to the couch to where they could see into Shirou's room. However, they still faced one last problem... the door was closed, "Alright Cupid," The Prince of Demons mentally grinned at the angered glare Gallium gave him, "you back me up while I get that door open." The angels nodded, both inching towards the door. Neither of them remembered how the got black warpaint under their eyes, but they simply ignored it as Lucifer changed his hand into his claw. He flexed the fingers as he slowly gripped the handle.

"A bit dramatic don't you think?"

"Shut up, this is delicate work I'm doin'."

"If it's s delicate then why are you using that clunky claw of yours?"

"Would you stop talking, you'll get us caught you chicken-winged freak."

Back inside the room, ignorant of the events outside, Shirou and Rin continued to stare at eachother. Shirou felt a twinge of shame as he looked into Rin. He could easily read her now, still vulnerable and open to him. Sakura had told him about her before she died, earning a new outlook on his once... strange friendship with her. He made a careful effort to keep everyone at a certain distance, but she proved the most allusive, using the perfect strategy. The strategy of absence. His smirk returned, thinking that maybe that strategy, like many of her plans, ended up being the very thing to save him, "So what do you want to talk about Rin?" His tone was light, almost as if he didn't recognize the gravity of the atmosphere.

Rin shot him an annoyed glare, but soon looked towards the blue sheets of the bed, "I want to know what happened to you after you left. I want to know how you got involved with, those guys." She motioned towards the door with her head, her gaze never leaving the sheets, "I want to know everything Shirou."

"Well, for starters, I enjoy eating toast in the morning with nice cup of hot tea to go with it." Shirou closed his eyes as he finished his jest, easily catching the pillow that was hurled at him from an obviously infuriated Rin. When he opened his eyes once more, he found Rin in his face, looming over him in an attempt to intimidate him.

"I'm serious Emiya," She spat, "spill it now!" Her eyes held her usual fire. However, the cool gaze that locked with her teal eyes made her lose her emotional foothold. Before she knew it, she was looking up at Shirou, his stance straight and calm. He had stolen the dominance of the situation with precision and she hated it, yet loved it.

Shirou lost his smirk, the shadows of the room covering parts of his face as he spoke, "I went to become stronger. To be honest, that's the best I can do in terms of explanation. He took me into his world and showed me the truth of this world, the true justice of this world." He smiled with nostalgia, "I resisted at first, unable to believe that all I stood for was nothing more than fantasy." His eyes faltered, something that Rin caught at she stared. He sensed this and closed his eyes, "I had no idea that Gallium would scrape away the lie that was me. Emiya Shirou was nothing but a fantasy, something to fill the void that was me."

"What do you mean?" Rin muttered her question, almost afraid of the answer. However, before he could answer, she cut him off, "No, no," Her voice was still quiet, "tell me who Tracer is, tell me who Emiya Shirou is... was."

Shirou smirked down at Rin, 'So she finally figured it all out.' He took a step forward, placing his arms on her shoulders. He was not embracing her, but he was very close. He looked down into Rin's shocked eyes, "Tracer is who I was meant to be, the Slayer of Heroes who lost his way. He is the one who has seen the truth of this world and himself, who's seen who he could've been and will be. He is a true Hero of Justice, not the justice of men, but the justice of the world." He paused, his eyes becoming distant as he continued, "Emiya Shirou... was a lie. He was a replacement, a boy who simply wanted to achieve a fantasy."

"I kind of figured," Rin blushed at their proximity, but still kept her appearances, "you're nothing like Shirou, nothing like the person I knew. But it was that naivety that made me keep my distance. It was so... frustrating to listen to you... him talk. He was like a child, someone who believes in an unreal idealism. Life hadn't hit him because.."

"He was fake," Shirou finished for her. Silence filled the room as Rin nodded. All of a sudden, Tracer leaned even closer, forcing Rin to fall back on the bed. He gently placed his forehead against hers, seeing the intense blush that painted her face, "You know Rin, I always did think of you while I was gone."

"Stop,"

Tracer's face remained neutral as he reached for Rin's hand, seeing her eyes soften, "I was hurting Rin. Her leaving really, really hurt me. But," He entwined his fingers with hers, "after facing the truths of all that is around me, after having time away from the world, I finally released my fantasy."

"Stop it,"

"You don't want me to stop," He loomed over her, forcing her eyes to lock with his, "you want me to say it Rin, but I can't. I'm afraid," He paused, allowing the moment to linger, "I'm so afraid of loosing the very last person I love, the only person to see me for who I really am."

"You didn't even know who you were until recently." Rin used his own logic against him, though she was far from gaining control. Her body was going crazy as Tracer pinned her down, face flushed, and thoughts cloudy. She looked away from him and towards their hands, tightening her entwined fingers, "The real you is a scary person, but," She looked back up at him, "I'm attracted to it."

"Dude, it's like one of Anko's effin' soap operas." Lucifer stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth, crunching loudly, "They need to just get it over with already." He looked over to Gallium, hearing him wipe his eye, "A-Are you crying?"

Gallium wiped his eye again and sniffed, "No," He looked away indignantly, "something was in my eye." He lifted up the large bowl of popcorn and poured it into his mouth, crunching as loudly as Lucifer, "So," He slurred, "what did you do so they couldn't hear us?"

"Come again?" Lucifer stopped drinking his apple juice, sitting straight up from his lounging position.

Gallium felt a cool chill go down his spine, "Uh, the whole hearing us thing, how did you deal with it?"

Lucifer shrugged, "No clue what you're yammerin' about." He noticed Gallium glare at him, "Calm down angel boy, they're too into each other to even notice we're watching," He eyed the door, "from an open door," He looked towards the lights, "in a perfectly lit room... while talking in normal voices." He paused before glancing at Gallium, "You suck at planning this stuff."

Luckily for the two angels, Lucifer was right. It was as if everything else had melted away, leaving only Rin and Shirou. It was only them, their closeness, their thoughts, their hearts, only them. Tiring of the silence, Shirou looked down at Rin, slightly smirking. It was not a normal half smile, but one that showed a hint of sadness. Rin could see the small streak of sadness, recognizing it. She'd seen it every time she looked into the mirror, especially when she was younger. When she heard her father was dead, she had remained outwardly strong, not allowing others to see her sadness. It was only when she was alone, isolated from the world that she would let it out. After every night of crying, she would look at herself in the mirror in the morning, seeing the sadness in her own eyes.

When Ilya had passed away, it returned. It wasn't as bad as before, but she still mourned for the little girl. It was only after her passing that Rin learned of who, and what, Ilya really was. Knowing how hard Ilya's life was, hearing of how she wasn't even considered human by her mother's family, it made Rin appreciate what she had. Perhaps it was this fact that made the next blow even more devastating.

Sakura's death was the hardest emotional wound she'd ever received. Their troubled past as siblings, their hidden contest for Shirou's affections, all those lost years finally on the track of being repaired, all leading to her death. Not only was it her death, it was the fact that her life was stolen by some unknown demons, demons that Shirou already killed. For months, she refused to even consider setting foot in Japan, grief held her heart _that_ tightly.

Now, looking up at Shirou, she could place his inner turmoil as the pain of a lost child. A child that was forced to grow up in the shadow of a fake self, a pain that can't be healed simply, "I guess we were both more exposed than we expected." Rin slowly ran her hands along his arms, placing them on either side of his face.

_-It's strange, but we kissed that very night. We started to make up for all the love we'd missed out on in the past, throwing our cautions and fears to the wind. It was a... heavenly experience, pun intended. I remember Gallium speaking with me while Rin slept in my bed. He warned me of what I had done, a warning I should've listened to. But... a part of me is glad I didn't listen, and another hates myself for not doing so.-_

**A/N: Man, I am so uncomfortable when it comes to romance, I'm an action writer for goodness sakes! Anyway, I hope I didn't give too deep, too soon for you guys. I nearly lost myself when writing this. Anyway, this story is just about finished so expect that grand finally soon. Please read and review!**


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